Abel Cedillo returns to race riding after injury
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Friday is comeback day at Los Alamitos for jockey Abel Cedillo, who has not ridden since he suffered a neck injury in a fall July 23 at Del Mar.
Cedillo has one mount on Friday and two on Saturday. He is riding the final weekend of the two-week Los Alamitos meeting through Sunday before the Santa Anita autumn meeting begins Sept. 29.
Cedillo received doctor’s clearance to resume riding earlier this month and began exercising horses on Sept. 14. He worked two horses that day and said he had no residual soreness from the neck injury.
“I feel good,” he said. “I’m surprised I feel good.”
In recent days, Cedillo said he has worked horses for trainers Mark Glatt, Michael McCarthy, Jeff Mullins, and Marcelo Polanco and hopes to ride for them extensively in coming weeks.
“I think they’ll give me a little help,” he said.
Cedillo suffered a fractured bone in his neck a few strides away from the gate on July 23. He was injured when his mount, Get the Gold, clipped heels when the runner to his outside drifted in sharply at the start.
“It happens and it could happen to anyone,” he said.
Cedillo said the neck pain subsided by late August.
“I was taking care of it,” Cedillo said. “I really wanted to come back. I missed working.
“My target is to ride and get stronger than before.”
Cedillo, 34, has won 25 races from 203 mounts this year. He has won 1,595 races since his career began in 2009.
Cedillo had a slow start to the 2023 season, winning with 11 of 126 mounts through May 31, but had a brighter record of 11 wins from 77 mounts from June 1 until he was sidelined.
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