Paco Lopez, Nik Juarez Suspended After DQ and Altercation

[Wandering Eyes]

Jockeys Paco Lopez and Nik Juarez have been suspended after a roughly run July 1 race at Monmouth Park led to an altercation afterwards.

Lopez was suspended five days for his ride aboard Midnight Diva (Midnight Lute) in that day's third race. Juarez was suspended for eight days and fined $500 for “initiating a physical confrontation with another jockey.”

According to the footnote of the race, Midnight Diva came out midway on the far turn and impeded Juarez's mount, La Costa (Archarcharch). La Costa clipped heels with Midnight Diva, stumbled badly and was pulled up by Juarez. Midnight Diva crossed the wire third but was disqualified and placed last.

A New Jersey Racing Commission ruling issued July 13 noted that “Mr. Lopez came out changing paths without sufficient clearance causing #5 LA COSTA to clip heels and stumble badly losing all chance.”

Lopez has been suspended for the racing days of July 29, 2022 through and including Aug. 1, 2022 and Friday, Aug. 5, 2022.

The ruling on Juarez was issued on July 10 and noted that Juarez was the aggressor in a post-race scuffle with Lopez. His suspension covers the calendar days of July 15, 2022 through and including July 22, 2022. In addition, Juarez, according to the ruling, “must comply with the additional relief as set forth in a confidential letter to him dated July 7, 2022.”

According to the Blood-Horse, the altercation took place in the scales area after the race.

For Lopez, this was far from the first time he was involved in a race riding incident that led to a suspension. Earlier in the year, he was handed a 14-day suspension by the Gulfstream stewards for his ride aboard In Due Time (Not This Time) in the

GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S., in which two horses fell. In 2019, the Gulfstream stewards hit Lopez with a 30-day suspension for careless riding and causing a spill in that resulted  in jockey Romero Maragh undergoing surgery for two broken vertebrae and Carlos Montalvo suffering a fractured ankle. In 2021, Lopez got into an altercation with Irad Ortiz Jr. after a roughly run race at Gulfstream. Ortiz was fined $1,000 and both riders were put on probation.

Lopez tops the Monmouth standings with 48 wins. Juarez is in eighth place with 10 wins.

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