Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux has lost his mount on Belmont Stakes contender Dullahan after an incident in which he refused to take a mandatory Breathalyzer test.
Desormeaux rode Dullahan to a third place finish in the Kentucky Derby and was slated to have the mount again in the Belmont Stakes on June 9, where I'll Have Another will try to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.
Javier Castellano will replace Desormeaux in the race, Castellano's agent told the New York Post on Monday.
"We have loved our association with Kent Desormeaux and hope to use him again in the future," one of Dullahan's owners, Jerry Crawford, told the Des Moines Register.
"We are confident that Kent will address his issues and be back at the track better than ever and we hope to ride him when that happens."
Desormeaux, 42, has struggled with alcohol issues in recent years, admitting he had a problem in the summer of 2010.
He lost his mount in Saturday's Preakness aboard long shot Tiger Walk over the Breathalyzer incident at Belmont Park. Initial reports Friday indicated he had failed the test, which is required of all riders on race days.
The Hall of Famer has been on two colts who went to the Belmont Stakes with a chance at the Triple Crown. Real Quiet was beaten by a nose by Victory Gallop in 1998; Big Brown finished last in 2008.
