Joelyn Rigione

Marvin Rafael Fernandez, a 35-year-old apprentice jockey at Delaware Park who rode a 228-1 shot to a third-place finish while beaten only half a length last Thursday, had his license rescinded the next day by that track's stewards, who determined that over the course of three probationary races Oct. 15 and 16 in which Fernandez twice finished in the money, his "performance was not satisfactory to the standards required to hold the license." Fernandez, who has five lifetime mounts in 2024-25 and had been riding last week under "temporary" licensure...

Irad Ortiz Jr. has been handed a three-day stewards' suspension in the aftermath of his disqualification for interference in the Jan. 11 Pasco Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. Ortiz will sit Jan. 19, 22, 23, as per his agent, Steve Rushing. Dave Grening of Daily Racing Form was first to report this news via a posting on the X social media platform. Ortiz has led North America in victories in each of the last eight years and was voted the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey in 2018-20 and 2022-23. He...

Jockey Raul E. Mena is appealing a 15-day suspension and $1,000 fine imposed by the Delaware Park stewards after a "failure to give best effort" ruling was lodged against him following a last-place finish aboard a 1-for-19 filly who trailed at every call in a $5,000 NW2L claiming sprint June 28. Sarah Crane, the executive director of the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission (DTRC), confirmed in an email that Mena, 31, has been granted a stay of his penalties until a Sept. 19 hearing. But Crane declined an opportunity to address...