Victor Espinoza Set for Return to Racing Feb. 18

After a near seven-month absence, Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza is scheduled to return to the saddle Feb. 18 at Santa Anita Park aboard Gallantlystreaming in the first race on the card for Hronis Racing and trainer John Sadler.

Sidelined because of a fractured vertebra in his neck—Espinoza fell from the fatally injured Bobby Abu Dhabi during a workout at Del Mar July 22—the road to recovery and return to the saddle has been a long and arduous journey for the 46-year-old jockey.

                    

"At first I thought I was done. I really did," said Espinoza, who initially lacked feeling in his left arm and required 24-hour assistance with life's basics, such as shaving, walking, and getting in and out of bed. "At that point I was thinking, 'This is it.' … My health has to come first, and I was thinking about, 'What am I going to do with my life?' But about three months ago, it kind of happened overnight. I started feeling better, and I felt like I could make it back. I'm ready. It's good for me to know that I'm 100% and I can come back now and do my job.

"I don't really know anything about this filly I'm riding, but she's dropping in class, and hopefully we can win. I'm excited to get back to my routine and to feel like I have a real job again."

A rider of three Kentucky Derby (G1) winners—War Emblem (2002), California Chrome  (2014), and American Pharoah  (2015)—Espinoza said he and his agent, Brian Beach, are making themselves available to horsemen in the mornings at Santa Anita.

BALAN: Victor Espinoza Back in the Saddle at Santa Anita

"We want to work as many horses as we can and build our business up," Espinoza said. "It's always tough here, and you have to work hard and show people you are 100% to get their confidence. I feel good, and it's great to be back."

"We've been wanting to work a lot of horses for different people, but we've been a victim of the inclement weather," Beach said. "The track has been closed a lot in the morning, so it's really limited us. At this point, I thought it would be better to get him named on a horse.

"(Sadler) and the Hronis brothers were kind enough to put us on a live horse for Monday, and we'll just try to build off of that."

A 3-year-old filly who has sprinted on turf in three maiden special weight races, Gallantlystreaming drew the far outside post in a field of 10 fillies entered for a maiden $50,000 claiming tag at 6 1/2 furlongs down the hillside turf.