Jockey Patrick Valenzuela, once one of the nation’s top riders, is set to return to racing after nearly a decade-long absence. At 63, he will ride three horses on March 30 at Turf Paradise in Phoenix, where he has been preparing for his comeback. Valenzuela’s career was marked by significant highs, including winning the 1989 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes aboard Sunday Silence, but was repeatedly derailed by substance abuse and legal issues. Despite multiple returns and successes in the early 2000s, his career waned, with his last race ride in December 2016.

Valenzuela recently secured a jockey license in Arizona, conditional on ongoing drug testing, after failing to regain licensure in California due to past transgressions. He expressed gratitude to supporters and the Arizona racing community on social media. His first mounts back will be aboard Dads Estrella, Factory Drive, and Levi Gone Wild, signaling a hopeful new chapter for the veteran rider who has amassed over 4,300 Thoroughbred wins and 66 Grade 1 victories in his career.