Assael Espinoza takes day off after training-hours incident

DEL MAR, Calif. – Jockey Assael Espinoza took off his mounts Friday at Del Mar, a day after he was involved in a collision during training hours that resulted in the death of two horses.

Espinoza was diagnosed with bruising and a lower back strain and was released from a local hospital late Thursday morning.

“He’s real stiff and sore this morning,” his agent, Brian Beach, said late Friday morning. “He thought it was better that he didn’t ride today.

“He’s going to go to the gym later and try to see how he’s doing. It’s going to be a day-to-day thing and see how much mobility and stiffness he has and go from there.”

Espinoza, 19, was aboard the unraced 3-year-old Carson Valley, who died of injuries from the collision. Carson Valley was struck by the unraced 2-year-old Charge a Bunch, who unseated jockey Geovanni Franco and reversed course, running into Carson Valley. Charge a Bunch suffered a fatal injury in the accident. Franco was not injured.

“This morning was a tough one,” track chief executive officer Joe Harper said at a press conference Thursday afternoon. “We’ve tried everything we can to be the safest track in the country and then this happens. These type of accidents are rare.”