Ricardo Santana Jr., booked on three mounts in this Saturday's Breeders' Cup races, was arrested late Tuesday night on charges of domestic violence, according to reports in the Louisville Courier Journal and the Lousville, Ky. t.v. station WLKY. He was charged with strangulation in the first degree and assault in the fourth degree, according to the reports.Earlier Tuesday morning, the Jefferson County Inmate Alerts system issued an alert with a photo of Santana and the charges, posted at midnight Tuesday. They later appeared to retract the post, saying that it was not a new arrest, and Santana no longer appears on their website alert list of arrested people. A woman at the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections told the TDN that he had, in fact, been arrested.Santana is scheduled to ride Foie Gras (Volatile) in GI Filly & Mare Sprint; Doncho (Mo Town) in GI Turf Sprint; and Hymn (McKinzie) in GI Sprint, but Ron Moquett, the trainer of Hymn, has already taken him off his mount.“We have been made aware of the situation involving Ricardo,” Moquett posted on X. “While we understand that everyone deserves due process, we have made the decision that Ricardo will not ride for us in the Breeders' Cup. A replacement rider will be announced shortly. Our concern extends to everyone affected by this situation. We will be ready to support Ricardo in getting whatever help or counseling he may need. Accountability and compassion are not mutually exclusive.”Reached by the TDN Tuesday, Moquett, a long-time supporter of the jockey, added to what he wrote on X.“I wish him all the best, obviously, and I'm going to be here to support him whenever he gets through this. But my job is first to my horse and the people that I work for,” said Moquett.“It's a sad situation. I feel for the victim and the family. But no matter what, this is about Ricardo when he's 40. Not Ricardo today. This is the kind of stuff, If it's not called out when it happens, it's the kind of stuff that can get worse and take over. I just, it really depresses me,” he said.“I'm sure he'll look at that and say, 'Well, Ron jumped quick.' But I'm also somebody that knows the rules and knows what kind of distraction that can be to the rider and to our chances. And while I understand he's very talented and very deserving of the opportunity, that opportunity comes with an obligation of following the rules and regulations and laws of the city and state,” Moquett added.Asked if he would be looking for a replacement for Santana, Mike Maker, the trainer of Foie Gras, replied to the TDN by text, saying, “I have not decided on a new rider.”The Courier Journal reported that the charges stem from two separate incidences after an argument regarding Santana's consumption of alcohol. They reported that he pled not guilty Wednesday morning and his cash bond was set at $25,000. They also said he was assigned a no-contact order with his girlfriend.Reported the paper, “Officers responded Oct. 26 to a domestic violence run in the Middletown area where a woman stated she had left her address fleeing from her boyfriend. She alleged that Santana was on their front porch drinking around 11:30 a.m. when he got angry with her when `she confronted him about his drinking,' according to the citation.According to WLKY, “The woman told officers she had left their home to get away from Santana after an argument about his drinking. The woman told police Santana became angry and grabbed her by the throat with both hands and pushed her against kitchen cabinets, causing pain to her head. She told officers she was able to get away from the home after that argument.”The report continues, “Later that evening, when she returned with food for her children, police said the two argued again, and Santana allegedly grabbed her by the throat and pushed her into the cabinets a second time. According to the arrest report, the woman said the back of her head, her hip, back, palm and wrist hurt. Officials said she also had photos showing redness on her throat from the first incident.”In 2024, Santana pled guilty to two charges of drivingunder the influence and served a week-long prison sentence in Kentucky. At the time, his agent, Ruben Munoz told the Blood-Horse, “He may have an alcohol problem issue he is addressing. He has been sober for (about a month) and he's looking to continue his life and a bright future that awaits him, and I trust that that is very possible as long as he stays on the right path.”The 33-year-old Santana Jr. was born in Panama City, Panama and has ridden over 2,250 winners.This story will be updated.The post Report: Jockey Ricardo Santana Arrested on Domestic Violence Charges In Louisville appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.