LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Someone with less fortitude might have broken – both physically and mentally. Not Declan Cannon. The 34-year-old jockey was made whole again Saturday when he guided Top of the Charts to a front-running victory in the third race at Churchill Downs, marking his first winner since returning from a spill in which he narrowly averted a life-altering injury. Not only was the physical rehabilitation following his Sept. 15 surgery on three fractured vertebrae a lengthy and grueling one, but Cannon also had gone winless with 41 mounts after returning to race-riding March 17. The 2 3/4-length score on Top of the Charts, a debuting 3-year-old colt trained by Brian Lynch, came exactly nine months after his most recent winner on Aug. 28 at Ellis Park. :: Serious horseplayers use serious products. Get DRF's premium past performances, now free for the first time “You have to have the right mindset,” Cannon said early Sunday. “You have to stay positive in all these things in life. You have to always think, ‘Everything is going to be OK.’ “A lot of it is mental. The rehab was tough, but I’ve always been into my fitness. I love running and biking, and I was in good shape, which helps your recovery. You have to just get on with it because there are people depending on you. You can’t sit around and feel sorry for yourself. You have to stay focused on when you’re going to get back.” Cannon, a native of County Leitrim, Ireland, lives in a Louisville suburb with his wife, Lauren, and 2-year-old son, Kian. He grew up riding horses at a young age before eventually migrating to the U.S., where he has won 301 races since he began riding races in 2015. Cannon said the most difficult aspect of his comeback has been acquiring quality mounts. Riding mostly on the Kentucky circuit, where the jockey colony has been extraordinarily deep because of record purse levels, “has made things difficult,” he said. :: Want the best bonus in racing? Get a $250 deposit match, $10 free bet, and free Formulator with DRF Bets. Code: WINNING “It was hard to stay focused,” he said. “You have to stay on track, not get derailed. It’s not like you forgot how to ride.” Cannon is particularly well liked among his fellow horsemen. News of his latest win drew major kudos on social media and elsewhere, including from Lynch. “I can’t say enough good things about Declan,” said Lynch. “He’s just a hard-working, great young guy. He showed Saturday that if the horse can win, he can win on them.” Cannon said in the 10 minutes or so it took for him to make it back to the jockeys’ room after winning Saturday that he received 30 messages on his phone, with many more coming afterward. “A lot of people were happy for me,” he said. Cannon will continue to ride through the spring and summer in Kentucky and at Horseshoe Indianapolis, where his spill occurred Sept. 13, while also venturing to tracks such as Colonial Downs, which starts its 27-day meet July 11. “I like going anywhere to ride a live horse,” he said. “Wherever there’s a good ride, you go.”