The Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission has issued a second 30-day suspension to apprentice jockey Axel Concepcion for careless riding, penalizing the 18-year-old for incidents that occurred just under two weeks apart at Delaware Park.
Concepcion was aboard Backwoods Boogie for trainer Mary Eppler in a starter optional claiming event, race seven at Delaware Park on Sept. 21. Concepcion and Backwoods Boogie broke from the far outside stall in the field of 11, scheduled for one mile on the turf course. The stewards found that Concepcion was “extremely careless in failing to control his mount, Backwoods Boogie, leaving the starting gate, impeding several horses, and causing the horse Trumpence to fall, which resulted in a fatal injury to Trumpence.”
The race was immediately suspended and declared no contest, due to the fallen horse. No injury was reported to jockey Nik Juarez, who was aboard Trumpence.
This first suspension was reduced to 21 days because Concepcion did not appeal the sanction, according to his agent, Tom Stift. The 21 calendar days to be served are scheduled for Oct. 6 through and including Oct. 26.
A second 30-day suspension was issued for an incident that occurred at Delaware Park on Oct. 4. Riding Speargun for trainer Jamie Ness in race six, a starter optional claiming event, the stewards found that Concepcion used “poor judgement in riding his horse into a very tight spot in the middle of the far turn, causing his horse to push a rival over heels, resulting in the rival to fall and unseating the rider.”
The fallen horse was Golden Gulley, ridden by jockey Jeiron Barbosa; the Equibase chart states that Golden Gulley walked off the track under his own power. No injury was reported to Barbosa. The chart also states that no head-on replay of the race was available.
The 30 calendar days set out in the ruling are Nov. 2 through Dec. 1, inclusive. Though the DTRC ruling allows for a reduction of days from 30 to 21 if the rider “waives” his right to an appeal, agent Stift said Concepcion had retained lawyer Drew Mollica to represent him in an appeal against this second 30-day suspension.
Concepcion also received a one-day suspension from racing, set for Nov. 1, over HISA whip violations from the third race on Oct. 4.
Concepcion, a native of Puerto Rico, has ridden 176 winners from 880 starters in 2023, and won the leading rider title at the Laurel Park Spring Meet earlier this year.
The rulings are available below:
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