Jockey Orlando Mojica has been suspended 30 days by stewards in Indiana for careless riding after a July 22 race where his mount suffered a fatal injury.
According to the ruling issued July 23, stewards reviewed video of he third race at Indiana Grand and found that Mojica twice “carelessly and recklessly steered his mount, Miss Mercken, into unacceptably tight quarters, needlessly endangering his mount, himself, and the other race participants.”
On video replay, Mojica and Miss Mercken can be seen at the back of the five-horse field sitting in the two path coming into the stretch. The pair appear to approach closely alongside behind eventual winner Strollin the Bayou when Miss Mercken clips heels with Strollin the Bayou and suffers a rotational fall.
According to the official Equibase chart, Miss Mercken was vanned off and according to the ruling was later euthanized. Mojica was unseated but returned to the jockeys' room under his own power and later completed riding engagements in the fifth and sixth races.
Mojica, who has been riding since 2000, has appealed the ruling. Officials with the Indiana Horse Racing Commission told the Paulick Report he requested a stay of suspension, which has been denied. The suspension began July 29 and according to the ruling is set to run through Aug. 27.
Last month, Indiana stewards suspended rider Gabriel Saez for 30 days for an incident that resulted in three riders falling, two with injuries. He was later granted an exemption to allow him to ride in out-of-state stakes races, provided he add one day of in-state suspension for each stakes.
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