Court Appearances for Two Jockeys

Troubled jockeys Richard Pfau and Pat Valenzuela had their days in court Monday. Pfau, an admitted race-fixer, was sentenced to three years’ probation and Valenzuela, following a reported domestic row, pleaded not guilty to three misdemeanor charges related to spousal abuse.

Both riders were among the best at the top of their games, Pfau the leader in riding Arabian horses at Los Alamitos and Valenzuela winning thoroughbred races from coast to coast, including a Kentucky Derby and six Breeders’ Cup races.

In U.S. District Court, Judge William J. Rea showed leniency for Pfau when he could have sentenced him to five years and fined him $250,000, the maximums for taking a bribe to fix a race.

Earlier, Pfau, 35, had testified that Richard Sklar had paid him $2,100 to hold back a horse in a scheme that was supposed to bring them a big pick-six payoff at Los Alamitos in 1995. Sklar, who has also pleaded guilty to race-fixing, is expected to be sentenced in December.

“You have dedicated your adult life to racing, and worked hard to be a success,” Rea said before sentencing Pfau. “You worked 15 years to achieve your goal, yet now you face a lifetime suspension from the California Horse Racing Board. You are a caring and sensitive young man, yet what you did has ruined a successful career.”

Both Edward J. Weiss, a federal prosecutor, and William Watson, Pfau’s attorney, indicated that they were satisfied with the sentence. Pfau also received four months of home detention, meaning his activities are restricted to employment during that time, and he was ordered to pay $1,340 to Nancy Gjerset, the owner of the horse that he held back.

“It was poor judgment on my part,” said Pfau, his voice cracking and his eyes welling up before the judge. “I’ve never done anything prior to this that was dishonest. Standing here today, I am not the person I appear to be. This has been a hard lesson to learn. I wouldn’t wish what’s happened to me--the mental devastation and the public eye--on anyone.”

Before Pfau’s sentencing, Gjerset addressed the court. Her 4-year-old colt, Expresss, finished fourth as the even-money favorite.

“This is a day when there are no winners,” Gjerset said. “The Arabian racing and breeding business is the other victim. I’ve spent decades to build up my Arabian business, and it took only one minute and 21 seconds--the time of the race--to tear all this apart. Integrity--you can’t buy that, but you can sure give it away, can’t you? This wasn’t about the Arabian business, but it was about money and betting and my horse became the vehicle.”

Pfau apologized to the Arabian industry.

“I am more remorseful than words can express,” he said.

In pre-sentencing court filings, Sklar apparently identified more than one race at Los Alamitos that had been fixed. Pfau told the court that he was involved in only one race. Asked if other jockeys at Los Alamitos could be implicated, Weiss declined to comment.

In a surprising twist, Bob Rudolph, a prominent owner of Arabian horses, has offered Pfau a job. Rudolph is the owner of Silk Designs Inc., a Paramount firm that manufactures artificial flowers and trees.

“Richard could drive one of my delivery trucks, at a decent wage,” Rudolph said. “I like him, and I’d like to help him get back on his feet. He’d have a future with me. He made a mistake, but he’s sorry about it and he’s entitled to start a new life.”

Valenzuela, 35, has won nearly 3,000 races and ridden horses that have earned more than $95 million, but since 1983 his career has been marred by drug and alcohol abuse, suspensions for not honoring mounts and erratic public behavior.

He was arrested in Arcadia last Friday after Kimberly Valenzuela, his wife of eighth months, reportedly fled from their home and phoned in a complaint.

According to Arcadia police Lt. Bob Sanderson, Kimberly Valenzuela said that her husband, who had been drinking, verbally abused her before he pushed and slapped her and then jumped on top of her. Kimberly Valenzuela said that she ran from the house, to a pay telephone across the street. She said that Pat Valenzuela followed her in his car, but returned home because of a crowd that had gathered in her support.

Valenzuela, who has been in custody since Friday, has been charged with causing corporal injury to a spouse, battery and false imprisonment.

A spokeswoman for Santa Anita Municipal Court in Monrovia said Monday that Valenzuela’s pretrial hearing is scheduled Friday.