Jockeys Court, Elliott poised to return to saddle

Jon Court is named on four mounts Saturday at Churchill Downs, which will mark his first rides since the 53-year-old jockey injured his hand in a nasty spill in the final race on the May 3 Kentucky Derby program.

Court was scheduled to see the renowned hand specialist Dr. Joseph Kutz on Tuesday.

“If he gives me the go-ahead, I’ll ride Saturday and Sunday and on into Keeneland,” said Court. “I’ve done a whole lot of rehabbing and the hand is finally feeling good.”

Elliott will ride Keeneland

Injured jockey Stewart Elliott will be back in time for the start of Keeneland on Oct. 3 and has purchased a farm in Kentucky, according to agent Nelson Arroyo.

Elliott is nearly recovered from two fractured ribs suffered when he was kicked by a horse during morning training hours at Del Mar on Aug. 11.

Elliott, best known for riding Smarty Jones, was the second-leading rider behind Julien Leparoux at the Keeneland spring meet in April and has 4,649 career victories in his 33-year career.

Night card attendance rebounds

Attendance for the Downs After Dark program amid ideal weather Friday evening was 14,212, a substantial increase over the first night card of the meet on Sept. 5, when the 11,058 in attendance marked the smallest of 31 crowds since Churchill began racing under the lights.

Not including the two cards (Oct. 31-Nov. 1) when the Breeders’ Cup simulcasts from California will be featured, one Downs After Dark card (Nov. 14) is scheduled for the fall meet.

◗ The SEC television network announced Monday that the Oct. 4 football game matching South Carolina against host Kentucky will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, meaning a huge crowd can be expected at Keeneland that afternoon for the first half of an always-popular “Bluegrass doubleheader.”