Franco preparing for return after injury

Jockey Geovanni Franco is preparing for a return to riding at Santa Anita on Dec. 26 after a five-month absence caused by injury.

Franco has not ridden since he was unseated at Del Mar on July 26, sustaining injuries that included a fractured shoulder. He resumed exercising horses at Santa Anita earlier this month.

“I felt very good on a couple of workers,” Franco said last weekend.

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Franco, 33, was unseated when Smooth Salute was knocked into the rail in a turf race, an incident caused by a chain reaction of interference. Franco also sustained swelling in a knee and underwent physical therapy in recent months.

This year, Franco has won 37 races. He has 1,039 career wins, including the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Stakes with Fault at Santa Anita in 2018, the Grade 1 Beholder Mile with Secret Spice at Santa Anita the following year, and the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar in 2023 on Senor Buscador.

The Dec. 26 program at Santa Anita is the opening day of the track’s winter-spring meeting.

Jack Carava, who books mounts on behalf of Franco, said the rider is likely to gain momentum as the season begins.

“I don’t expect to ride a lot of horses since we’re starting back,” Carava said of opening day. “I expect to ride a horse here or there and let it pick up as it goes.”

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