#US RACING: Jockey Albarado suspended for Swiss Skydiver ride

Jockey Robby Albarado has been issued a three-day suspension by track stewards for not using his riding crop in an underhand position when riding Peter Callahan's champion Swiss Skydiver to victory in the March 13 Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park.

According to the ruling posted this week on the California Horse Racing Board website, the suspension is for racing dates on March 21, 26-27. 

The veteran jockey, who rode Swiss Skydiver to an upset of eventual Horse of the Year Authentic  in the Preakness Stakes (G1) last year, was named to ride one horse Sunday at Gulfstream Park, where he is based this winter. He will not ride that scheduled mount, nor appeal the Santa Anita suspension, CHRB chief steward Darrel McHargue said stewards were told by a Jockeys' Guild representative.

With reciprocity, racing jurisdictions customarily honour suspensions issued elsewhere.

Albarado is one of several out-of-state riders to be disciplined for riding-crop infractions this winter when traveling to ride in stakes races in California, which has some of the strictest rules in North America related to use of the riding crop. Jockeys Ricardo Santana Jr. and Gabe Saez—currently riding in Arkansas and Louisiana, respectively—were each fined $500 earlier in the meet for using the riding crop more than six times in a race.

Albarado's ride would not have triggered disciplinary action in many states. He largely hand rode the Kenny McPeek-trained Swiss Skydiver to a 2 3/4-length victory, giving her one left-handed strike in mid-stretch.

In a post-race interview on the track television feed with TVG's Britney Eurton, Albarado made reference to his use of the crop in an exchange that was reported by John Cherwa in the Los Angeles Times racing newsletter days later. 

"You love this filly. You call her your girlfriend," Cherwa cited Eurton as saying to Albarado. "How special is she to you?"

"Well, I hit her once. I hope she still loves me," Albarado replied in an apparent joke.

TVG chose not to air the comment on tape, Cherwa reported, citing concerns about its appropriateness. In 2011 and 2012, Albarado faced two domestic violence claims, one of which resulted in him accepting a Class A misdemeanor charge for attempting to interfere with a witness.

Albarado's suspension was among 12 rulings issued last week by Santa Anita stewards, half of which were related to use of the riding crop. The steepest fine of the dozen rulings was a $1,500 penalty to trainer John Sadler after Rattrapante, at the time an unraced filly, breezed Dec. 21, and test results showed the prohibited presence of 5-hydroxy dantrolene, a metabolite of dantrolene. Dantrolene—which is used to treat horses prone to "tying up," or muscle cramping—is a Class 4 drug, a classification in which many therapeutic medications are categorized.

The 4-year-old has subsequently been unplaced in two races and was eased from her last start March 12.