P-Val Retired

[Dana666]

http://www.drf.com/news/hollywood-park-valenzuela-fined-1000-stewards

P-Val is done. How much abuse can a body take; well, I guess he\'s had enough! At least he can eat now!

[richiebee]

Would make a great steward, no?

[MO]

http://www.drf.com/news/hollywood-park-valenzuela-fined-1000-stewards

Stewards:

\"Hey Pat, you think retiring is going to keep us off your back? Think again.\"

The guy never showed up to race drunk or stoned. He was never a threat to anyone. Best gate rider to ever get on the back of a horse - bar none.

The stewards are being vindictive, it\'s overkill and as they go home and drink their legal drugs, it\'s hypocritical.

[TGJB]

I\'m kinda curious as to how you know he never rode under the influence.

[Sandreadis]

The Over/Under on PVAL pulling a Brett Favre and Unretiring is 6 months,
1 vote for the Under.

[MO]

Hi TGJB,

Just going on the fact that I\'ve known many jocks and jock agents over the years - I even dated a jock for a while, and this is just something that has never come up - that PVal was riding drunk or stoned and because of that he \"almost dropped my rider\" or \"he almost dropped me\". At the same time, I would often hear of \"so and so\" , a hall of famer was stoned on weed every day.

If I recall correctly, his 1st suspension was shortly after he won the Derby on SS. He failed to show up for mounts the next day or something like that. And that gave the stewards an opportunity to demand a drug test, which he failed because he didn\'t get 3 or 4 days notice to get the coke out of his sytem. The next time the stewards demanded a drug test, and each time subsequent, well, PVal now knows how to \"play the game\". Don\'t show up for 3 or 4 days, THEN take a test, piss clean and deal with the repercussions of not showing up rather than failing a test. After a while, a soap opera is created. Now the stewards demand a hair follicle test which is harder to beat. So he shaves all his hair off. His longer absences and failure to take a drug test might easily be pointed to marijuana use which can take up to 45 days to clear one\'s system. Or maybe the guy just has a lot of personal problems that cause severe depression and thus an unwillingness to work. Only PVal and his therapist really knows. Maybe he\'ll write a book?

Looking back, I think PVal\'s ability to ride at such a high level (whether he was stoned or not); his ability to come back from such long suspensions and ride again at such a high level; his ever present cockiness and his defiance of authority just rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. I\'ve met PVal several times and he\'s always been a gentleman to me.

[Beau]

I wonder what drug test he passed (piss test or hair follicle) while out of town? If he only passed a piss test while he was out of town, they may have wanted him to pass a hair follicle test when he came home. Most drugs are out of your system with in 48-72 hours with a piss test. Hair follicle tests can detect drugs up to 6 months or so.... Just putting it out there....

You never know...

[RICH]

There are several things on the market you can drink that will clear your system out in 1 hour, regardless if you smoked or sniffed 3 hours ago, its foolproof. You can pass any test, anytime

[MO]

Absolutely NOT TRUE.

The products are out there, but they do not work.

[RICH]

Its true, I am living proof multiple times

Back in the day for Jobs and insurance, this was between 7-15 years ago, believe me

[P-Dub]

For a hair follicle test??

[magicnight]

I think it\'s mostly moms and dads working the hair follicle tests, Paul. Jobs and insurance are mostly urine tests, I believe.

I passed one 11 years ago. The form said it was the \"four drug test\" and I always wondered which four they were testing for.

And does anyone besides me note the irony of where this string has headed? Perhaps there are some supertrainers lurking who could advise as to how to pass as a hay, oats, scotch and water guy?

[Beau]

Rich... Your wrong.... You cannot beat the Hair follicle test with a drink or whatever you say.Hair follicle tests are the hardest test to beat... that\'s why family courts across this country use them for druggie parents.

[MO]

.....and it also explains why PVal shaved:  no hair - no test until it grows back where they can get like a 1/8th inch long sample with like 110 strands of hair, something like that. And if they have the budget, they can go back 10 years on a hair follicle test (ask any casino poker dealer), which makes you ask the question \"Who gives a crap what drug someone did one night 10 years ago?\"

[RICH]

Oh, I never did a hair follicle test, only blood and urine, but I did hear its beatable, no need for me to worry about that crap now, it was always very nerveracking waiting to see if I passed.