Cedillo to miss rest of Del Mar meet

DEL MAR, Calif. – Abel Cedillo, who sustained a neck injury in a spill July 23 at Del Mar, said Sunday that does not expect to return to riding before the end of the current Del Mar meeting on Sept. 10.

Cedillo said he plans to meet with a doctor “in a couple of weeks” for an evaluation. He is hoping to receive clearance to begin physical therapy that will lead to a return to riding in September.

“I think I’ll miss Del Mar,” he said.

Los Alamitos has a two-week meeting from Sept. 15-24. Santa Anita opens its six-week autumn meeting on Sept. 29.

Cedillo suffered a fractured bone in his neck shortly after the start of a two-turn race on dirt. He was injured when his mount, Get the Gold, clipped heels when the runner to his outside drifted in sharply at the start.

Cedillo remained on the track until members of the gate crew quickly carried him into the adjacent winner’s circle. Cedillo later faulted the gate crew’s decision to abruptly remove him from the track before the extent of his injuries were known.

Because Cedillo was cleared from the track shortly after the spill, the race was completed. Cedillo was attended to by ambulance personnel before he was taken to a local hospital.

Cedillo, 34, has won 25 races from 203 mounts this year. He has won 1,595 races since his career began in 2009.

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