Leading jockey banned for ONE YEAR by stewards for losing ride on hot favourite

A jockey has been banned for a year by stewards for his ride on a hot favourite which finished second. Albin Jimenez, who tops the current standings at Belterra Park in the US, was deemed to have not made sufficient effort to win on Afleet Vintage.

In footage of the race, over one mile on dirt, Jimenez and the 3-5 favourite go handy from the stalls and then they drop to third as a pair of outsiders take over. By the home turn, Afleet Vintage had slipped back to last place, a position the duo make headway from into second at the finishing line.

The race was won by 3-1 third choice of punters Permit to Carry, who was ridden to a three-length margin by Summer Pauly, the mother of Jimenez's child. Ace On The Turn finished behind the top two in third.

Afleet Vintage's trainer Tommy Drury was unhappy with Jimenez's ride and asked the stewards to review it, according to Horse Racing Nation.

READ MORE: Ron Turcotte the jockey of all-time great racehorse Secretariat dies at the age of 84

READ MORE: Aussie sprinter rediscovers Royal Ascot form to carry out £700k bashing

After they considered the circumstances of the horse's final placing in Ohio, the ban, which would be cut to six months if there is no appeal, was handed out.

Afleet Vintage arrived at Belterra for the claiming race restricted to three-year-old horses and upwards on the back on a wide-margin win at the circuit on July 23, when Jimenez was on-board.

It was one of his 81 winners there, more than any other rider - and he was number one last year too with 88.

Since 2010, Jimenez has more than 1,700 successes to his name, including the 2018 Grade One Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland on 70-1 shot and subsequent star Knicks Go.

After changing stables, the thoroughbred went on to be named American Horse of the Year after scooping the Breeders Cup Classic, Whitney Stakes and Pegasus World Cup in 2021.

Jimenez steered the grey on five occasions during a 24-start career between 2018 and 2022. Lady Fog Horn was his only other graded stakes scorer at Churchill Downs in 2016. The suspension is due to begin next Friday.