NY Stewards Suspend Apprentice Jockey Torres 14 Days

New York stewards suspended apprentice jockey Jaime Torres 14 racing days for careless riding at Aqueduct Racetrack April 8 in the second race, which involved a spill and an injury to jockey Jose Lezcano. In a ruling dated April 14 and published afterward on the New York State Gaming Commission website, stewards suspended Torres April 20-23, April 27-30, May 4-7 and May 11-12—all racing days on the New York Racing Association circuit. He waived his right to an appeal, the ruling stated. Torres was aboard Central Speed in a six-furlong turf race when his mount ducked in sharply after coming under a right-handed crop, causing a chain reaction that saw another horse, Autumn, stumble and fall, unseating Lezcano, and Lady Laoban and jockey Manny Franco tumbled over her. Both horses crashed through the inner rail. They ran off after the spill, though Lady Laoban was vanned back to the barn area. Jose Lezcano broke a bone in his right hand. Franco came away with no apparent injuries. Stewards demoted Central Speed from sixth and placed her last for interference. Torres began riding in 2022 and has ridden 48 winners from 458 mounts through racing April 14. Daily Racing Form, which first reported the suspension, said Torres would still be able to ride in the coming weeks on days when New York Racing Association tracks are not running. Torres has recently ridden at Parx Racing on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.