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[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by dilanesp

To add a bit about this.

You can't view this as an issue of "he's an addict, he needs our help". He does, and we should support him.

But there are certain professions that are compatible with being a drug addict in remission, and other professions that aren't. Being a jockey is not compatible with it. If he relapses, he could hurt a horse, or fix a race to pay a debt to a drug dealer, or not show up to ride a key mount.

And bear in mind one other thing. It isn't just that he failed drug tests. He also skipped drug tests, and lied to regulators repeatedly.

And that last one is really huge-- lying to regulators will get you barred from any profession. If I lie to the State Bar, they can pull my law license. If a stockbroker lies to the SEC, she can get barred from brokering stock trades. Etc.

If you are a jockey on drugs, and you don't promptly report that you have taken drugs to the regulators, forcing them to detect it in a test, or you simply fail to show up for work and lie and say that your car broke down when in fact it is drug related, that's a separate, even worse violation. And Patrick Valenzuela has lied to stewards countless times in those circumstances.

You can't be giving jockey licenses to people who have repeatedly, over and over again, lied to racing officials. That is above and beyond the positive drug tests.

And, when he was informed that a hair follicle drug test would be performed on him...he appeared at the track with all the hair on his person completely shaved off. But, HEY...he was seen giggling with a bunch of women at a Costco...so, he must be a great guy.