Rispoli continues to seek more action; turns attention to Breeders' Cup
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DEL MAR, Calif. − Umberto Rispoli celebrated his 36th birthday on Monday at a dinner with family and friends. In a way, the festivities have been ongoing for several weeks.
After missing five months earlier this year with ankle and leg injuries sustained when he was unseated at Gulfstream Park, Rispoli resumed riding in late June.
At the current Del Mar meeting, which began on July 17, Rispoli ranks fourth in the standings with 20 winners even though he is the only rider among the top seven in the standings with less than 100 mounts through Sunday.
From Rispoli’s perspective, the comeback is on schedule.
“I’m very happy with that,” he said between races last weekend.
“Coming back from a long injury, you have to build up some horses. You’re waiting to get them back. The numbers talk for themselves.”
Rispoli’s 20 wins include seven victories in maiden races, five stakes, four allowance races, three claiming races for maidens, and one $25,000 claiming race for nonwinners of two.
Often quick to share an opinion, Rispoli wishes a popular meeting such as the Del Mar summer had more top-class races and fewer claimers.
“I think we run too many cheap races here right now that we didn’t see a couple of years ago,” Rispoli said. “This is a highly-rated place.”
As the Del Mar meeting draws to a conclusion on Monday, Rispoli has been on the go, seeking quality mounts. He rode at Kentucky Downs on Sunday and will be at Del Mar from Thursday through Sunday this week before returning to Kentucky Downs on Monday and Wednesday.
Rispoli thrives on action. He was set to ride five races on Thursday and has three mounts on Friday, fewer than he would prefer. Rispoli has nine mounts on Saturday and 10 on Sunday before traveling to Kentucky.
“It’s hard to find horses to ride,” he said. “I have not been riding much.”
Rispoli’s five stakes wins at Del Mar this summer include the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap on July 18 aboard Journalism, and two Grade 2 stakes on Aug. 22 – the Green Flash Handicap aboard Sorrento Sky, and the Del Mar Mile on King of Gosford.
“I had a good week last week,” he said of the week that included the Aug. 22 program.
“I think I’m good with my runners and winners.”
Journalism had his final start in the San Diego Handicap, emerging from the race with an injury that led to his retirement to stud. Rispoli rode Journalism to a win in the 2025 Preakness Stakes, the Italian-born rider’s first Classic win in the United States.
Rispoli was leading rider at the 2025 Del Mar autumn meeting. He was atop the standings at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting when he was unseated in a turf sprint at Gulfstream Park on the Pegasus World Cup program.
Rispoli was diagnosed with fractures to his fibula and ankle and damaged ligaments. He spent part of his rehabilitation in Spain, under the direction of a physiotherapist who has worked with prominent athletes on that continent.
“I’m feeling good,” he said. “I’m still doing my therapy, my routine.”
This weekend, Rispoli has mounts in the final two Grade 1 races of the Del Mar meeting, both $300,000 races for 2-year-olds at seven furlongs. He is booked to ride Free Closer in Saturday’s Del Mar Debutante, and Phone Booth in Sunday’s Del Mar Futurity.
One of them, or runners such as King of Gosford or Sorrento Sky, could lead to mounts for Rispoli at the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland on Oct. 30-31.
Rispoli relocated from Hong Kong to California at the end of 2020. Through Sunday, he has ridden 733 winners in this country, but has yet to land a victory in a Breeders’ Cup race.
Rispoli has been close. In 24 career mounts, he has been second three times, with Smooth Like Strait in the 2021 Mile at Del Mar, Arizona Blaze in the 2022 Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland, and Johannes in the 2024 Mile at Del Mar.
This could be the year for a breakthrough victory.
“That is the key at Del Mar - find some nice horses for the Breeders’ Cup, some 2-year-olds,” he said. “There are still two months to go. The goal is to be loaded for Keeneland and try to enjoy the Breeders’ Cup as much as I can.”
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