Gary Stevens Given 5-Day Suspension

Thoroughbred jockey Gary Stevens, the nation’s leading money-winning rider, was handed a five-day suspension Monday night by the Los Alamitos stewards for failure to maintain a straight course aboard the quarter horse Kite In The Sky last Saturday night at Los Alamitos.

The suspension dates are this Friday and Saturday (June 8 & 9) and June 12, 13 and 14.

Stevens made a rare appearance at Los Alamitos Saturday to ride Raised Toperfection in the $230,000 Kindergarten Futurity--one of the most prestigious events in quarter horse racing.

In addition to riding Raised Toperfection, Stevens also was named to ride the $5,000 claimer Kite In The Sky.

Stevens and Kite In The Sky finished a close third in the evening’s seventh race, but the Los Alamitos stewards disqualified the pair and moved them to last for causing interference about 100 yards away from the gate.

Stevens went on to finish eighth aboard Raised Toperfection in the Kindergarten Futurity.