Espinoza works a horse, nears return from serious injuries

ARCADIA, Calif. – It has been a long road back for jockey Victor Espinoza, but he took another significant step toward a return to action when he worked a horse at Santa Anita on Saturday for the first time since suffering serious injuries in an accident at Del Mar on July 22.

Espinoza worked the old stakes-class horse St. Joe Bay five furlongs for trainer John Sadler, after which Espinoza said he hoped he would continue to progress enough to ride in races “by the end of the month.”

“When I’m 100 percent, I’ll be ready,” Espinoza said.

“It feels good, being able to come back,” Espinoza added as he greeted well-wishers Saturday morning at Clocker’s Corner. “I’m happy just to walk around.”

Espinoza, 46, suffered serious spinal injuries at Del Mar. He had his head immobilized following the accident and has undergone extensive physical therapy. Espinoza said he has been desirous of returning to ride because, despite all the success he has achieved in his Hall of Fame career – including winning the Kentucky Derby three times and riding Triple Crown winner American Pharoah – he wants to go out on his terms.

“I want to stop when I want to stop, not because of a freak accident when I’m doing someone a favor,” he said. If he had had to step away, “that would drive me crazy,” he said.

Espinoza was hurt when the stakes-winning sprinter Bobby Abu Dhabi, whom he was working for trainer Peter Miller, suffered fatal injuries in a morning drill. Espinoza has done all his physical therapy near his second home near Del Mar and said he would return there this week for three sessions before coming back to Santa Anita to work horses anew next weekend. He said doctors have cleared him to ride after examining his recent MRI.

Espinoza said his legs felt good after the lone workout Saturday morning. “I thought they would be a killer,” he said. “One was okay. Maybe two would have been too much.”

Espinoza has a mechanical horse in his home and said exercising on that helped his progress.

“The first day after using it, I could barely move,” he said. “It’s amazing how different parts of your body work. I’m getting better and better.”

Espinoza said his weight still needs to drop to get to a proper riding weight, but that he has made significant strides since changing medication that left him bloated. He is a notorious gym rat.

“The gym, I like that. I go every day, and therapy three times,” he said. “I take one day off a week. I’m working harder now than I used to when I rode.

“I’ve never been off this long. The longest before was 30 days, when I fractured my wrist,” he said. “This is all new for me. Before, I didn’t have to worry about my legs losing fitness.”

Espinoza said he had to push himself to improve both physically and mentally. He said the early days following the accident were the toughest.

“I had to challenge myself every day,” he said. “Mentally, you wake up and go, ‘Uh-oh, my body’s not functioning today.’ I had to challenge myself.

“But I was doing that not because I wanted to ride. I just wanted to get better for the rest of my life,” Espinoza said. “But now that I’m good, why not? I feel good.”

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