Valenzuela Eyes October Comeback at Santa Anita

Photo: Alex Evers / Eclipse Sportswire

In a career of infinite comebacks, Patrick Valenzuela expects to make yet another on Oct. 18, one day after his 53rd birthday.
“I got my boots and helmet on and feel real good,” Valenzuela said between work sessions Tuesday. “I’ve been working horses in the mornings since the latter part of July and I’ll be ready to go Oct. 18.”
Under terms of a stipulated settlement between Valenzuela and the California Horse Racing Board, early last month Valenzuela was granted a license to exercise horses. His jockey license is suspended through Oct. 31, but is subject to review, and Valenzuela hopes to be cleared to resume his career as a rider in three weeks.
“I’ve done everything they’ve asked me to do,” he said.
 

FINISH LINES: Nyquist, unbeaten winner of the Grade I Del Mar Futurity who is entered in the Grade I FrontRunner Stakes Saturday, is named for 26-year-old Gustav Nyquist, who plays right wing for the Detroit Red Wings. Doug O’Neill trains Nyquist for owner J. Paul Reddam . . . Spanish Queen, Santa Anita’s Horse of the Meet last spring, is recovering from an injury but whether she will race again won’t be determined until next month. “She’s doing fine, resting at the barn and walking, but we won’t know more until we X-ray her again,” said Richard Baltas, who trains the 3-year-old California-bred daughter of the late Tribal Rule who won the Grade I American Oaks on May 30. “We discovered a hairline fracture of her left front sesamoid bone at Del Mar after she ran in the Belmont Oaks July 4. We’ll X-ray her again in October and try and make a decision on whether she’ll continue to race or not.” . . . On the good news front, crack sprinter Big Macher is “doing fabulous” following yesterday’s four-furlong workout in 48 flat and is being considered for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint “if he continues to do well,” said Baltas, who made the California-bred son of Beau Genius eligible for the Breeders’ Cup with a payment prior to last year’s Sprint, in which Big Macher was unplaced after a tardy start. Claimed for $20,000 on July 17, 2013, Big Macher won the Grade I Bing Crosby at Del Mar last July . . . Santa Anita Derby winner Dortmund worked five furlongs Monday in 1:01. Trainer Bob Baffert has the Grade I, $500,000 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on Nov. 27 as a long-range goal for the chestnut son of Big Brown, with plans “to get a race into him before that.” . . . There will be a Late Pick 4 pool guarantee of at least $500,000 every Saturday and Sunday during Santa Anita’s Autumn Meet that ends Sunday, Oct. 25.

Source: Santa Anita Park

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