Perez cleared to resume riding at Los Alamitos on Thursday

CYPRESS, Calif. - Jockey Fernando Perez will resume riding at Los Alamitos on Thursday, 11 days after he was unseated from his mount following a race at Santa Anita on April 10.

Perez was unseated from Cardiac after the San Juan Capistrano Stakes while galloping the 4-year-old back to be unsaddled. Perez initially had X-rays taken on a knee on the evening of the race, and later experienced dizziness that led one doctor to conclude the rider may have sustained a concussion in the fall.

Perez, who was removed from his mounts from Thursday through Sunday at Los Alamitos, was advised to take a week off by a second doctor. He was present for workouts at Santa Anita on Saturday, but did not exercise horses.

Perez said he underwent an MRI on Friday and has been cleared to ride.

“I feel better,” he said. “I tried to come back too soon.”

Perez, 29, has won 19 races this year, including the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita in January on Lost Bus.

Thursday, Perez has two mounts on the eight-race program at Los Alamitos.