Ricardo Santana Jr., a 32-year-old jockey who has cracked the top 10 in annual earnings three times in the past five years, will face a “thorough review” of his suitability to ride by Kentucky regulators when he is released later this week from a seven-day prison sentence brought on by two drunken-driving arrests, according to the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation. Santana began serving the sentence on Nov. 20 and is scheduled to be released on Friday, according to records of the Shelby County Detention Center. He last rode on Nov. 17 at Churchill Downs. Santana’s arrests and incarceration were first reported on the website of The Blood-Horse. A statement released to Daily Racing Form by the KHRGC on Monday night said that the corporation was “aware of the situation” involving Santana and that he had passed Breathalyzer tests before being allowed to ride at Churchill Downs in the lead-up to his incarceration. “The KHRGC stewards are in communication with Mr. Santana’s representatives and are monitoring the situation closely,” the statement said. “After a thorough review, the stewards will determine when Mr. Santana will be permitted to ride.” The statement did not answer specific questions posed to the KHRGC about the requirements Santana will face prior to being allowed to return. Santana’s agent, Ruben Munoz, did not return phone calls. He told The Blood-Horse that “he’s young and made a mistake. It’s past him, and we are looking to go forward and comply with any licensing issues he may have in any jurisdiction.” According to Shelby County records, Santana was arrested twice in a one-year period on drunken-driving charges, the first on Nov. 19, 2023, and the second on Oct. 27, 2024. He pleaded guilty to both charges on Nov. 19 and was booked into the Shelby County Detention Center the next morning. Santana finished eighth in the North American riders’ standings by earnings in 2021 and 2019 and ninth in 2018. He has won two Breeders’ Cup races, the 2019 Sprint on Mitole and the 2020 Juvenile Turf on Fire At Will. For his career, Santana has won 1,966 races from 12,350 mounts, with total purse earnings of $129.4 million, according to Equibase records. This year, he has won 81 races on 590 mounts, with $8.1 million in purse earnings. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.