Dettori expected to resume riding on Sunday

Jockey Frankie Dettori, who suffered a separated shoulder in a spill at Aqueduct on Sept. 19, is expected to resume riding Sunday at Aqueduct, his agent, Ron Anderson said Monday afternoon.

On Monday morning, Dettori saw orthopedic specialist Dr. Stephen O’Brien, who told him he could start back “as soon as he wants,” Anderson said.

The decision was made to eschew a trip to Santa Anita for Saturday’s California Crown card and Dettori is now expected to return on Sunday where he is scheduled to ride May Day Ready in the Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo Stakes, a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

“He said movement’s good, he’s going to be in a little bit of pain but he could start as soon as he wants,” Anderson said.

Anderson said after Sunday’s card, Dettori will be based at Keeneland when that meet opens on Oct. 4 with a few trips back to Aqueduct as needed before the Breeders’ Cup, which will be run Nov. 1-2 at Del Mar.

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In the last race at Aqueduct on Sept. 19, Dettori was aboard Pretty Liza in a maiden turf sprint. Pretty Liza reared up and unseated Dettori, who was taken to a local hospital. Dettori’s shoulder popped out of its socket, but doctors put it back in.

Dettori, 53, had to miss mounts at Aqueduct over the weekend and he had been named to ride in two stakes at Finger Lakes on Monday. He was also named on two horses Thursday at Aqueduct but won’t ride.

Dettori, a three-time champion jockey in Europe, decided to postpone retirement at the end of 2023 and be based in the U.S. in 2024.

This year, Dettori has ridden 62 winners from 359 mounts and those mounts have earned $10.69 million in purses. He has won 11 graded stakes this year, including the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on Newgate and the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley on Beaute Cachee. His most recent stakes victory came in the Grade 3, $3.1 million Nashville Derby on Bellum Justum at Kentucky Downs.

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