Velazquez To Serve Three-Day Suspension For Spa DQ

[Wandering Eyes]

John Velazquez, the winningest jockey in the history of Saratoga Race Course, will serve a three-day “careless riding” suspension this coming Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday stemming from the disqualification of his mount from a win in the sixth race there Aug. 17.

Velazquez waived his right to an appeal, according to an Aug. 20 stewards' ruling posted on the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) website.

The race in which Velazquez got disqualified was a $100,000 maiden special weight turf route for 2-year-olds. He was aboard first-timer Scope (Gun Runner), the 6.5-1 fourth choice in the five-horse field. Scope crossed the finish wire first but was placed second by the stewards for interference to his stablemate, Teleport (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), the 3-2 favorite who crossed the wire second.

There was both a jockey's objection and a stewards's inquiry into the stretch run.

The Equibase chart stated that Scope “took the inside route into upper stretch, tipped out to the three path nudging Dynadee (Mo Town) at the three-sixteenths, rallied to latch on the leader Teleport a furlong out, got bumped solidly by that rival coming out under a left-handed crop and continued under a drive despite it, was put to a right-handed crop and came in bumping Teleport solidly inside the sixteenth marker, then inched away to the finish to prevail.”

Both Scope and Teleport are trained by Todd Pletcher. In the aftermath of the race last Sunday, Pletcher told TDN's Mike Kane that having one of his trainees DQ'd only to have another put up as the winner was not something he believes he has previously experienced through a three-decade career of 26,257 starters.

“If I have, I don't remember,” Pletcher said.

“It was kind of a peculiar-run race, very slow early,” Pletcher said. “I think [Teleport] was a little bit green by himself [on the lead]. And then obviously some baby stuff going on down the lane. I was happy with the performance of both colts. You hate to have one disqualified, but sometimes that's the way it goes.”

Pletcher described Scope as “a big rangy colt” who's been “training okay on the dirt. We felt like the main thing for him was he needed distance. I thought he kicked in really well, showed a nice turn of foot for a big horse.”

It was a TAP exacta in R6 at Saratoga!

After a stewards inquiry and jockey's objection, Teleport was moved up to first place over stablemate Scope. @iradortiz was aboard. pic.twitter.com/xqJziXY4bQ

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) August 17, 2025

The post Velazquez To Serve Three-Day Suspension For Spa DQ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

View the full article