Bejarano and Pedroza readying for return

ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockeys Rafael Bejarano and Martin Pedroza are preparing for comebacks from injury.

Bejarano injured his collarbone, shoulder blade, and a rib in a one-horse spill May 10 and has targeted a return to riding for opening day at Del Mar on July 17, his agent, Joe Ferrer, said Wednesday.

Pedroza, who has not ridden since early February because of a fractured shin, resumed exercising horses Tuesday. Pedroza said at Santa Anita on Wednesday that he hopes to ride a few horses on the final weekend of the Santa Anita spring-summer meeting, June 28-29, and resume riding on a full-time basis for the start of the Los Alamitos summer meeting July 3.

Bejarano, 32, is hoping to receive doctor’s clearance Monday to begin a rehabilitation program, Ferrer said.

“He can get fit in a week,” Ferrer said. “The last X-rays they took were good.”

Bejarano has been the leading rider in Southern California in recent years, having won 18 riding titles at Del Mar, Hollywood Park, and Santa Anita since late 2007. Bejarano was the runaway leader at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting that ended in April, his fourth title in the last five years at that meeting.

Bejarano swept the titles at the five race meetings at Del Mar, Hollywood Park, and Santa Anita in 2013, finishing in a tie with Edwin Maldonado at the 2013 spring-summer meeting at Hollywood Park.

Pedroza, 48, said Wednesday that he has been active in the gym in the last week and that exercising horses in recent mornings has been vital to his comeback.

“I’ve been working out, but no matter what you do, it’s not like getting on horses,” he said. “I was fit, yeah, but this way I’ll be good. I want to make sure I’m ready for Los Al and Del Mar.”