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.
