Jockey Luis Antonio Gonzalez has been suspended 15 days for failing to ride a mount all the way to the wire in a race at Mahoning Valley on Thursday.
He was suspended for 15 days by Ohio stewards for failure to give his best effort, according to a report by T. D. Thornton of Thoroughbred Daily News. The report noted that the ruling stipulated that Gonzalez could serve seven days instead of 15 if he chose not to appeal, but it was not yet known whether he would appeal.
In the Thursday race at Mahoning, an Ohio-bred allowance sprint, 7-5 favorite Rapida made an inside run around the far turn. She switched out and overtook pacesetter Complexity Girl in upper stretch. She led by two lengths midstretch, but appeared geared down late. Lo Bug, the 2-1 second choice in the wagering, was rallying well outside of Rapida and caught her before the wire, winning by a head.
Rapida, a 2-year-old Ohio-bred daughter of 2019 Kentucky Derby winner Country House, broke her maiden Oct. 14 by six lengths in a $32,000 maiden claimer at Santa Anita for trainer Ryan Hanson and owners Dacmac Ventures, Rory Albert and Ryan Hanson. She worked twice at Mahoning Valley in December and then returned to the races in an Ohio-bred allowance sprint for non-winners of two races lifetime. In the Mahoning Valley race she was owned by Danielle Agnello and trained by Jeffrey Skerrett.
