Valenzuela to seek court’s help

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Designed for Luck won the $456,000 Shoemaker Breeders Cup Mile at Hollywood Park on Monday in what could be Patrick Valenzuela’s last winning ride – or ride of any kind– for a month.

Valenzuela and his attorney, Donald Calabria, will be in Los Angeles Superior Court today, seeking an injunction that would allow Valenzuela to ride Rock Hard Ten in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday.

The California Horse Racing Board ruled May 18 that Valenzuela couldn’t ride in June, a decision that extends to all tracks in North America. He was suspended in January for failing to report for a mandatory drug test.

If Valenzuela doesn’t receive a favorable ruling from the judge, he will not be allowed to ride until July 1.

Corey Black, Valenzuela’s agent, said he would be at Belmont Park today and Wednesday just in case to line up mounts for his client Friday and Saturday at the New York track.

In the Shoemaker Mile, run on grass with eight starters, Valenzuela and Designed for Luck took the lead from front-running Glick in the upper stretch and drew clear to win by 11/2 lengths over Singletary. The winning time was 1:32.81.

“He ran super; just outran them from the head of the stretch on home,” Valenzuela said after Designed for Luck won for the first time in four starts this year and 10th time in 26 career starts.

With his victory in the Shoemaker Mile, the 7-year-old gelding earned $282,000 and increased his lifetime bankroll to $915,500.

Trained by Vladimir Cerin, Designed for Luck returned $13.80, $6.20 and $4.60. Singletary paid $5.40 and $4, while Tsigane was $8 for show.

In another Grade I race on turf, Noches De Rosa scored a one-length upset over Megahertz in the $324,250 Gamely Handicap for older fillies and mares that drew just four entries.

Ridden by Mike Smith, Noches De Rosa, a 6-year-old Chilean-bred mare, covered 11/8 miles in 1:48.34 to turn the tables on Megahertz, who beat her by a length last month at Santa Anita.