After being taken off his mounts at Belmont Park May 18 for running afoul of New York’s rule on alcohol impairment, Kent Desormeaux also lost his mount in the May 19 Preakness (gr. I), Tiger Walk.
Ramon Dominguez will replace Desormeaux on Sagamore Farm's Tiger Walk, a 30-1 shot trained by Ignacio Correas.
“It was a team decision,” Correas said. “Ramon is a great rider. We’re happy to have him.”
Dominguez said: “I’m excited to ride the horse, not necessarily the way it happened. I’m happy that they chose me to ride this horse. I know very little (about Tiger Walk). I rode against him a couple of times in New York, and I will have to go look at a couple of replays to take a look at his running style.”
The incident is not the first involving Desormeaux and alcohol. In 2010, Woodbine in Canada kept Desormeaux from riding a race after blowing just a .02% in a breathalyzer test.
“Mr. Desormeaux was removed from his mounts today because of a violation of Rule 4042.6(c)(2),” the New York State Racing and Wagering Board said in a statement. “The board is conducting an investigation into the matter."
“The presence of .05% or more alcohol in the blood by weight per volume as indicated by said device shall constitute alcoholic impairment and be a violation of this section,” the rule states.