Hollywood Park Stewards Will Issue Ruling on Jockey Didericksen Friday

George Slender, a steward at Hollywood Park, said Wednesday that a ruling will be issued Friday in the investigation of Kip Didericksen, the leading quarter horse jockey who was allegedly found with an electrical prod--or battery--in his possession just before a race Aug. 2.

A stewards’ ruling against Didericksen would probably mean a lengthy suspension--perhaps as long as a year--for having the battery, used to jolt a horse so that it will run faster.

The 20-year-old Didericksen, who won 309 races last year in leading the country, attended a hearing with his attorney, John Cogorno, in the Hollywood Park stewards’ offices Wednesday.

The stewards also interviewed Bob Baffert, who trains the horse, Beda Cheng, that Didericksen was scheduled to ride. Beda Cheng won the $7,700 race, anyway, after Didericksen was replaced by another jockey.

Slender said that no ruling would be made implicating Baffert in the incident.

“The stewards are going to weigh the evidence,” Cogorno said. “I can’t comment until they make their decision. There’s a lot of pressure on us right now.”