Coa facing charge of domestic assault

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (AP):

Authorities say Venezuelan horse-racing jockey Eibar Coa is facing a domestic battery charge after an alleged altercation with his wife at their South Florida home.

Police records show the 39-year-old Coa was charged with a misdemeanour following an incident early Monday after they returned from a club. Coa's wife, Rebeca, told police her husband punched her after breaking into a bathroom, according to the records.

Jail records show Coa was released without posting bail. He did not immediately return a telephone message left by The Associated Press at his home and court records listed no lawyer.

Last year, Coa posted his 4,000th victory as a jockey. On January 15, Coa won the $100,000 Mr Prospector Stakes aboard Big Drama at Florida's Gulfstream Park.

Meanwhile in New York, Aqueduct cancelled yesterday's card, losing a second straight day of racing because of a winter storm.

An overnight ice storm wiped out Wednesday's programme. Citing remaining moisture in the surface, Aqueduct said in a release that an additional day would be needed to prepare for the weekend.

Racing is expected to resume today at 12:30 p.m.

The bad weather also claimed another day of racing at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

The cancellation of yesterday's races is the third time the thoroughbred track has had to call off racing this season.

Nearly three inches of rain fell between Monday night and Tuesday at Oaklawn and temperatures have not been above freezing since Tuesday afternoon.

Racing general manager David Longinotti says the frozen track made it impossible for maintenance crews to prepare the surface. Longinotti added that horsemen and stewards agreed that cancellation of the day's programme was the right thing to do.