Prominent Quarter Horse jockey Hector Aldrete has been summarily suspended by the New Mexico Racing Commission after he was found to be “in possession of an electrical device in the paddock prior to mounting his horse,” according to a ruling posted on the Association of Racing Commissioners International website.
The incident occurred on Aug. 6, 2023, at Ruidoso Downs, ahead of the 10th race in which Aldrete was scheduled to ride “Jingle and Go” for trainer Armando Castellanos. Jockey Daniel Amaya picked up the mount aboard Jingle and Go, finishing eighth in the 350-yard allowance race after stumbling at the start.
The jockey's suspension is listed as effective immediately Aug. 6, pending the outcome of a hearing scheduled for Aug. 13.
The jockey was also issued a 30-day suspension by New Mexico stewards in late 2022 for “failure to ride out his mount.” Mounted on Quarter Horse Starlite Eagle in the fifth race at the Downs at Albuquerque on Sept. 18, 2022, Aldrete “failed to ride the horse out, standing up approximately 1/16th of a mile before the finish,” causing the horse to drop from “3rd place to finish in 6th place.”
Aldrete has won 348 Quarter Horse races for earnings of over $6.6 million in a career that dates back to 2007. He has finished among the top 100 Quarter Horse jockeys in the U.S. by both wins and earnings every year since 2019. Among his top mounts is Cinco Menudos, winner of the Grade 1 Namehimastreaker NM Classic Championship in 2015.
The post New Mexico: Grade 1-Winning Quarter Horse Jockey Summarily Suspended Over Possession Of Electrical Device appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
