Columnist Ralph Siraco: Jockey should seek help to conquer addiction

Ralph Siraco's horse racing column appears Monday, and his Southern California selections run Tuesday through Friday. Reach him c/o Las Vegas Sun, 800 S. Valley View Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89107.

The guy they call P-Val has done it again. Racing fans, players, fellow jockeys, horsemen, racing writers, radio and TV commentators and the entire racing industry once again feel betrayed by jockey Patrick Valenzuela.

Patrick is a substance abuser. And, after four months into yet another return to racing, four months of sobriety, four months of toeing the line, the 37-year-old rider has given in to his personal demon. He has abused again.

Immediate comparisons to a long list of others in sports who have gotten that "last chance" started weaving their way through news reports of Valenzuela's lastest fall from grace.

Valenzuela and racing have been here before. They have made up before, forgiven before, returned to glory before and have gotten to this place before.

During a 22-year career as one of this nation's most talented riders, Valenzuela has conquered many races with split-second decisions made on 1200-pound thoroughbreds running 40 mph, but has yet to conquer drug addiction.

Patrick comes from a family of horsemen. His father A.C. was a jockey, uncles Ismael, Angel, Santiago and Mario were riders on the Southern California circuit and cousin Fernando still rides. Riding is in their blood.

Patrick began his riding career in 1978 at Sunland Park, N.M., and won his first race on November 10 of that year. He may have ridden his last winner on Feb. 2 aboard Jolie's Tattletale for trainer Mike Mitchell. Mitchell was instrumental in Valenzuela's latest comeback to racing. A comeback that ended in the steward's office at Santa Anita on Friday.

After a two-year layoff due to personal problems and substance abuse rehabilitation, Valenzuela was given a chance to return to the saddle by the California Horse Racing Board. He was given a one-year conditional license and began his comeback last Sept. 29 at Santa Anita during the Oak Tree meeting.

It didn't take P-Val long to get back in the groove. He hit his best stride at the Hollywood Park fall meet as he battled Laffit Pincay Jr. throughout the session for top honors. That duel went down to the final day of competition before he was nodded by the world's winningest jockey.

It appeared that Patrick, with the help and support of Mitchell and top conditioner Bob Baffert, was back on the right track. He had secured the mount on highly regarded Derby hopeful Tribunal for Baffert and influential owners Bob and Beverly Lewis.

But on the morning of Feb. 4, Valenzuela took off his scheduled mounts, complaining of neck pains. The next day, by order of the stewards and in compliance with his conditional license, he submitted to a drug test which disclosed traces of amphetamines.

In their official ruling, the stewards (the judges appointed by the California Horse Racing Board) suspended Valenzuela for the remainder of his license period and recommended that he not be considered for relicensing before Feb. 11, 2001. In addition, he would have to stay clean for a full year.

So the man who has compiled more than 3,000 career victories -- including six Breeders' Cup events and the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes with 1989 Horse of the Year Sunday Silence -- had been evicted from his life's work. Again.

Valenzuela was devastated by the severity of the ruling. His only comment was, "I thought it (suspension) would be a lot less."

Others thought it was not enough and all but too late in coming.

The real question is what will or can motivate a person with such an addiction to stop? Certainly not the risk of losing his livelihood. Certainly the suspensions and rulings have not deterred him, just as the criminal system cannot deter other addicts with imprisonment.

And, should we be so disappointed, so hurt, so outraged when we place our confidence in a person who is self destructive?

The real problem is that Patrick has a disease. You can't threaten someone to not have a disease. You can't tell a cancer patient to stop having cancer and you can't tell an addict to stop using drugs. Addiction, like cancer, can only be treated and, in a best-case scenario, controlled.

What Valenzuela needs is a controlled, constant professional treatment over a lengthy period of time to mentally conquer what he has periodically managed physically.

Maybe racing -- like other sports with their fallen stars -- has given Patrick one too many chances. But, thankfully, life is not racing and life will give Valenzuela another chance. And at this point, that is all P-Val can hope for.

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