Valenzuela Excused Through Weekend
by Margaret Ransom
Date Posted: 10/20/2005 7:35:48 PM
Last Updated: 10/20/2005 11:59:25 PM

The 43-year-old jockey submitted a doctor's note indicating a foot injury suffered over the weekend was serious enough to warrant taking several days off.

"He came in this morning and had a doctor's note," steward Kim Sawyer said. "He's had X-rays, which were negative, I guess. He said the next step will be an MRI, which we were told may take place tomorrow."

Valenzuela took off his mounts on Sunday after the afternoon's third race citing a sore foot. Stewards were unaware of Valenzuela's location when he failed to show up for Wednesday's first race. He called them a short time later saying his agent should have already removed him from his mounts.

"He met with investigators this morning and was given a (drug) test," steward George Slender said. "He's good to go until next week where he will probably have to test again."

The oft-troubled Valenzuela currently rides under a strict conditional license that requires him to submit to regular drug testing, including urine and hair shaft/strand exams.

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