Valenzuela Cleared for Return

The California Horse Racing Board has issued a one-year conditional jockey’s license to Pat Valenzuela, the talented but troubled rider whose career has frequently been marred by substance abuse.

Valenzuela, 39, tested positive at Santa Anita for an amphetamine in February 2000 and hasn’t ridden since. Valenzuela was denied a license by state stewards and the racing board last April.

Valenzuela’s attorney, Donald Calabria, said that his client weighs 117 pounds, has been running five miles a day and will begin exercising horses today. Valenzuela hopes to be booked on mounts on Dec. 26, opening day at Santa Anita.

The jockey’s career includes a 1989 Kentucky Derby victory and six Breeders’ Cup wins, but he has tested positive for drugs at least four times. His license requires random drug testing at least eight times a month.