Jockey Antonio Fresu, who has been making a run at Juan Hernandez for the leading rider title at Del Mar, will miss the final three days of the seaside track's summer meet and another 13 race days at Los Alamitos and Santa Anita for repeated violations of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's riding crop rules.
Fresu, a 31-year-old native of Italy who came to Southern California from Dubai in April, was found to violate the six-strike limit on Sanger in the seventh race Aug. 27 and aboard Trouville in the fourth race Aug. 31. In each case, stewards said Fresu went one stroke over the limit.
Fresu was suspended one racing day for each violation, but because he has now been cited five times over a six-month period, the violations triggered two additional seven-day suspensions. Class 3 riding crop violations (1 to 3 strikes over the limit) result in a $250 fine (or 10 percent of jockey's portion of purse, which ever is greater), a minimum one-day suspension, and three points. For multiple violations, accumulation of 11-15 points over a six-month period results in a seven-day suspension; 16-20 points 15 days; 21 or more points, 30 days.
Fresu's 16 days of suspensions run Sept. 8-9-10-15-16-17-22-23-24-29-30 and Oct. 1-6-7-8-9.
Tom Knust, Fresu's agent, said the rider would meet with the stewards on Sunday over another potential violation of the six-strike limit rule from a race on Saturday that could extend his suspension another 16 days. Knust said each violation Fresu received has been for being one strike over the limit.
“He just taps a horse at the top of the stretch, then uses the crop six times down the lane,” Knust said during a Sunday morning interview with Mike Willman on the Thoroughbred Los Angeles radio show. “That puts him at seven. He can't do that tap first.”
Fresu came to Southern California from Dubai at the recommendation of Doug O'Neill assistant trainer Leandro Mora, who has managed a string for O'Neill at Meydan racecourse in recent years. Fresu reached the top 10 during his first full meet at Santa Anita but has excelled at Del Mar, wining 27 races from 150 mounts, with 20 seconds and 19 thirds. That puts him second behind Hernandez, who leads with 33 wins from 137 mounts.
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