Trevor McCarthy goes to sidelines with ankle injury

Jockey Trevor McCarthy has left California for his home in Maryland after a stay of more than three months, and plans to take a break from racing to receive treatment on an injured ankle, he said on Friday.

McCarthy said he was not sure when or where he would return to riding, pending an appointment with a doctor in New York next week.

“I have a long-term injury that is catching up to me,” he said. “It’s starting to bother me. My left ankle has a tear in it. I’ll take some time to get that fixed.

“I’m pretty sure I’ll need an operation.”

McCarthy began riding in Southern California in late May and had his final mount of the current Del Mar meeting on Aug. 29. During that span, McCarthy won 9 races from 156 mounts at Santa Anita, Los Alamitos and Del Mar.

“I wish I did a little bit better, especially at Del Mar,” he said. “I wasn’t getting the opportunity that I thought I would get. That was a little bit frustrating. I really liked California. It’s a great atmosphere. It was a little unfortunate I couldn’t get going.”

McCarthy said he injured his ankle in 2020 and that the situation was aggravated as a result of a two-horse spill at Los Alamitos on June 27 that left McCarthy briefly hospitalized that afternoon.

“When I went down at Los Al, that triggered it even more,” he said. “It wasn’t bothering me before that.”

McCarthy said it was unclear how long he would be away from riding or where he might return.

“I have some options,” he said. “I’ll take some time.”

McCarthy, 27, had a successful 2020 in Maryland. He was the leading rider at the Laurel winter meeting in early 2020 and the Pimlico fall meeting. He was among the top five in the standings at two other meetings at Laurel in 2020.

McCarthy rode briefly in New York earlier this year before moving to California.