Trainer Ron Moquett announced Tuesday that jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. will not ride Hymn in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Keeneland – one of three mounts he had been named to ride on the Oct. 31 World Championships program at the Lexington, Ky., track – following the jockey’s arrest on alleged domestic violence-related offenses in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Later in the day, the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Commission suspended Santana’s license, pending disposition of the criminal charges against him.
According to a Louisville Metro Department of Corrections booking record dated Oct. 27, Santana, 33, was booked on offenses listed as first-degree strangulation (domestic violence-related) and fourth-degree assault (domestic violence), minor injury. The record also lists two failure-to-appear entries associated with separate case numbers, both marked as holds preventing his release.
Additional details about the circumstances surrounding the arrest were not immediately available. An arrest is not proof of guilt; Santana is considered innocent of the above charges until proven guilty.
“The Jockey license issued to Ricardo Santana Jr. will be suspended pending the disposition of his criminal charges,” according to a statement from the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Commission. “During his suspension, Mr. Santana will be denied privileges of all facilities under the jurisdiction of Kentucky Horse Racing & Gaming. He will be removed from all mounts in Kentucky until further notice. KHRG Stewards will issue a formal ruling on or before Wednesday, October 28, 2026.”
Jockey suspensions are typically honored in all U.S. racing jurisdictions.
“The Breeders’ Cup respects the decision of the Kentucky Horse Racing & Gaming Corporation to suspend the license of Ricardo Santana Jr. pending the disposition of his criminal charges,” Breeders’ Cup said in a statement. “According to usual KHRGC protocol, replacement riders will be identified by the connections of his contenders in the World Championships and conveyed to the Stewards.
“The Breeders’ Cup condemns violence in all forms and remains committed to upholding the highest standards of conduct and professionalism throughout our sport, while recognizing the importance of due process.”
A native of Panama who has ridden in the U.S. since 2009, Santana served a week in jail at the Shelby County (Ky.) Detention Center in November 2024 as a result of two driving under the influence arrests within a year of one another: the first on Nov. 19, 2023, and the second on Oct. 27, 2024, according to Bloodhorse.com. At that time, the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Commission released the following statement: “Stewards are aware of the situation involving jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. Mr. Santana is off his mounts this week and last rode at Churchill Downs on November 17, 2024, after passing a breathalyzer test. A stewards’ hearing has not been scheduled nor has a ruling been issued at this time. The KHRGC stewards are in communication with Mr. Santana’s representatives and are monitoring the situation closely. After a thorough review, the stewards will determine when Mr. Santana will be permitted to ride.”
There was no suspension resulting from those cases.
