Santiago Gonzalez Suspended for Ride at Los Alamitos
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Santiago Gonzalez will be suspended three days after stewards deemed he shoud have ridden his horse harder to the finish in the $75,000 Beverly J. Lewis Stakes at Los Alamitos Race Course
Jockey Santiago Gonzalez has been suspended three racing days for what Los Alamitos Race Course stewards determined was a "failure to ride his mount to the finish" aboard Chalon in the $75,000 Beverly J. Lewis Stakes Sept. 9.
With a wide bid in the stretch, Rockingham Ranch's Chalon loomed behind eventual winner Princess Karen. Gonzalez showed Chalon the whip at the three-sixteenths pole, struck the filly three times between the three-sixteenths and the eighth pole, then put the whip away and mildly hand rode to the wire to finish third, a head behind second-place finisher and favored Faypien.
"(Gonzalez) said his horse didn't feel good and wouldn't switch leads," said steward Scott Chaney. "We believe that, after she switched leads, he hit her a few times. And then, if she didn't feel good, he should have pulled her up, not half-pursue (her). He should have pulled up and galloped back."
The stewards also took into consideration that trainer Peter Miller reported Chalon came out of the race without apparent injury. Rockingham Ranch director of operations Brian Trump also said the filly came out of the race "totally fine."
Miller was unavailable for comment Sept. 10 and Gonzalez's agent, Tony Matos, declined to comment.
"I'd rather not comment," Matos said. "Sometimes it's better not to say anything."
The suspension will cover Sept. 16, Sept. 17, and Sept. 21 during the current Los Alamitos meeting.