Expulsion Threatened for Jockey Valenzuela : Horse racing: Guild condemns suspended rider’s behavior by 22-2 vote. CHRB’s handling of the case also is criticized.

The Jockeys’ Guild, which represents most of the riders in the United States, voted Tuesday to send a letter to Pat Valenzuela, warning him that he could be expelled from the organization.

Valenzuela, suspended by California stewards for 60 days a year ago after testing positive for cocaine and currently under an indefinite suspension, has been seeking reinstatement at Hollywood Park so that he can ride Best Pal in the $1-million Hollywood Futurity on Sunday.

The action by the guild, which was agreed to in Las Vegas at the group’s annual meeting, will have no official effect on Valenzuela’s riding status in California, but it sends a message to both the jockey and the Hollywood Park stewards that his peers disapprove of his conduct.

After much discussion, the guild directors voted, 22-2, to send Valenzuela a warning of expulsion “for conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the guild.” The notice asked Valenzuela to respond within 15 days if he wants to request a hearing. John Giovanni, the former rider who is national manager of the guild, also said that if Valenzuela is reinstated in California, the guild would have no problems with his membership.

The guild also was critical of the California Horse Racing Board’s handling of the Valenzuela case.

“(This is) an expression of frustration at the California Horse Racing Board,” a guild statement said, adding that the racing board failed “to deal with this issue expeditiously and efficiently.”

In suspending Valenzuela after he called in sick before the $1-million California Cup races Nov. 3, the track stewards sent his case to the racing board for review, pending receipt of records of a physical and psychological examination of the jockey. Last Friday, the racing board said it had not received the doctors’ reports and sent the case back to the stewards.

Despite missing more than a month of action, Valenzuela has still won 199 races this year, and in this week’s Daily Racing Form statistics he ranked 10th nationally with a purse total of $7.2 million.

Last weekend, the Hollywood Park stewards invited four local Jockeys’ Guild members--Chris McCarron, Gary Stevens, Robbie Davis and Kent Desormeaux--to an informational meeting regarding Valenzuela. McCarron, Stevens and two other local jockeys--Eddie Delahoussaye and Laffit Pincay Jr.--are listed as national directors of the guild.

Giovanni said that nine jockeys were expelled last year “for conduct detrimental to racing.” He added said that 90% of the races in the U.S. are ridden by members of the Jockeys’ Guild.

“Expelling nine members last year was not unusual,” Giovanni said. “We expel some almost every year.”

Giovanni added that the guild’s warning concerned Valenzuela’s action with racing officials. “We are not saying that Pat’s a drug user,” Giovanni said, “but we feel that he made an agreement to be tested when the stewards have asked him, and he’s reneged on that.

“Our members are very conscious about the drug problem. Riding horses is dangerous enough without having other factors to worry about.”

Giovanni declined to say which two jockeys voted against sending the notice to Valenzuela.

“I can’t understand how they could make an accusation and vote on it without giving Pat a hearing,” said Sam Silverstein, Valenzuela’s attorney. “Part of this is because it’s an economic situation. Pat rides horses that earn about $10 million a year and some of those jocks want his business.”

Asked about Silverstein’s remarks, McCarron said: “Those are his opinions. Pat has done some things to hurt the organization and the integrity of racing and maybe he shouldn’t be a member. As for him being guilty or innocent, I’m like everybody else, I’m just waiting to hear about (the stewards’) findings.”

Asked what influence the Jockeys’ Guild’s action might have, Pete Pedersen, a steward at Hollywood Park, said: “Let’s put it this way, we’re incredibly interested in what they did. Southern California has as good a collection of jockeys as there is in the world, and we’re going to do what we have to do to keep those standards high.”

Silverstein has asked the stewards for a hearing today, but Pedersen said that none is scheduled.

“That doesn’t mean, however, that we couldn’t have one,” Pedersen said. “We’re prepared to put one together as quickly as possible. Right now, though, I am not in receipt of the (medical and psychiatric) information that we’ve requested.”