Valenzuela Suspended by Stewards

DEL MAR —  Del Mar stewards Ingrid Fermin, Dave Samuel and George Slender suspended jockey Pat Valenzuela for five days, beginning Monday, after meeting with him Friday morning.

Valenzuela, 34, was cited for a failure to follow established procedures for being excused from mounts.

A winner with only two of 57 mounts since he returned Aug. 2 after a long absence, the oft-troubled jockey failed to show up to ride his three mounts Thursday and it wasn’t until half an hour after the races started that he phoned the stewards.

Valenzuela reportedly called from a phone booth and said he wasn’t feeling well.

By his own choosing, Valenzuela was off his mounts Friday and won’t ride again today, but Samuel and Slender said he is still scheduled to go to Santa Fe Downs in New Mexico on Sunday to ride General Gem in the $571,000 Indian Nations Futurity Cup. Valenzuela won a trial race for the Cup on the 2-year-old earlier this month.

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Unbeaten in four starts in Canada and Louisiana in 1996 and earlier this year, Relaxing Rhythm stayed perfect with a two-length victory over favored Fleet Lady in the $74,720 CERF Stakes Friday.

Ridden by Gary Stevens for owner Frank Stronach and trainer David Hofmans, the 2-1 second choice, a 3-year-old daughter of the late Easy Goer, moved up to engage Granja Realeza before a half-mile and went on to win in 1:15 for the 6 1/2 furlongs.

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Third as the 7-5 favorite two years ago and second at the same odds in 1996, Sandpit is the 5-2 morning-line favorite against eight opponents in Sunday’s Arlington Million at Arlington International in suburban Chicago.

With Corey Nakatani suspended, Chris McCarron will ride the 8-year-old for trainer Richard Mandella. Sandpit drew post 4 in the 1 1/4-mile race.

Also in the field are Allied Force, Awad, who won the race in 1995 and was second last year; Chief Bearhart, Geri, Labeeb, who will be ridden by Corey Black; Marlin, who will be handled by Gary Stevens; Ops Smile and Percutant.

Escena, who won the Ramona Handicap here earlier this month, is the 2-1 choice in the $500,000 Beverly D. on the same card and Honor Glide is the 8-5 favorite in the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes.

Horse Racing Notes

Jockey David Flores, who suffered back and shoulder injuries in a spill on Aug. 1, is scheduled to resume riding Sept. 1. He is scheduled to ride Surachai at Bay Meadows in the $125,000 California Turf Championship. . . . The Thoroughbred Owners of California will conduct a free workshop at Del Mar Sept. 30 to promote ownership of race horses. Details: (619) 794-1018.