Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, who by his own admission has battled alcoholism during his riding career, has been excluded until further notice by management of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., according to published reports.
Desormeaux, 50, allegedly was involved in a fight on Del Mar fairgrounds property in an area where campers and trailers house racing personnel during the meet.
He was taken off one mount on Friday's card. Two other horses he was scheduled to ride were scratched.
“Our action is not related to anything in racing, but rather to conduct which we don't feel is consistent with our standards,” Del Mar CEO Joe Harper told Bloodhorse.com.
Desormeaux has won three races from 14 mounts during the current Del Mar meet that began on July 10. The Louisiana native had been riding at Golden Gate Fields in Northern California after a brief stint at Fair Grounds in New Orleans that yielded only one victory over the winter.
Desormeaux has expressed a desire to become the all-time leading Cajun jockey. Retired Hall of Famer Eddie Delahoussaye leads his fellow Louisiana riders with 6,384 victories. Desormeaux needs more than 300 wins to pass Delahoussaye, but has exceeded 100 wins a year just twice in the last decade. He won 36 races in 2019 and just 28 so far this year.
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