Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Espinoza full recovery likely
DEL MAR, Calif. – Victor Espinoza, the Hall of Fame jockey, fractured a vertebra in an accident Sunday at Del Mar, and on Monday morning remained in the intensive care unit at Scripps La Jolla Hospital with a neck brace keeping him immobilized. Espinoza has feeling in all his limbs and doctors are encouraged that he’s going to make a full recovery, according to his agent, Brian Beach.
“His left arm, which had the stinger, is still sensitive to the touch,” Beach said. “The doctors want him to lay still, thinking that with rest that should calm down. They think he’s going to be completely fine.”
According to Beach, the fracture was to the transverse process to Espinoza’s C-3 vertebra.
“The doctors didn’t seem that concerned, but they want to make sure, and part of that is letting him rest until the nerves calm down,” Beach said.
Regardless, Espinoza will be out for the remainder of the Del Mar meet.
Espinoza, 46, fractured the C-3 vertebra when he fell heavily to the ground in the stretch as his mount, the stakeswinning sprinter Bobby Abu Dhabi, was fatally stricken with what appeared to be a sudden cardiac event during a workout.
Espinoza had his neck immobilized by attending medical personnel and was placed on a backboard. He then was transported by ambulance to the hospital, where he was diagnosed and where he spent Sunday night.
In addition to the neck fracture, Espinoza had some initial numbness in his left arm, which Beach described as similar to a “stinger” suffered by football players.
Beach said Espinoza “got lucky” that he wasn’t more seriously injured.
Espinoza, who began his career in his native Mexico, is best known in racing for winning the Triple Crown in 2015 aboard American Pharoah, and attained wider public celebrity by competing on that year’s “Dancing With the Stars.”
Espinoza has won 3,358 races, including three runnings of the Kentucky Derby. He is one of only 10 jockeys to have won the Derby at least three times.
This year, Espinoza has been the regular rider for Accelerate, the winner of the Santa Anita Handicap and Gold Cup at Santa Anita. Accelerate is scheduled to make his next start in the Grade 1, $1 million Pacific Classic here Aug. 18.
Bobby Abu Dhabi, 4, was third in the Grade 2 True North Stakes at Belmont Park in his last start on June 8. His work Sunday was scheduled to be his final one in preparation for a start in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar on Saturday.
Bobby Abu Dhabi won the Grade 2 Kona Gold earlier this year at Santa Anita and also was second in the Grade 1 Triple Bend. He was trained by Peter Miller. A son of Macho Uno, Bobby Abu Dhabi won 4 of 9 starts and $375,100. He was owned by David Bernsen and the Rockingham Ranch of Gary Hartunian.
Catalina Cruiser to get rest
With two of the best older runners on the West Coast, trainer John Sadler has a good problem on his hands.
The day after Catalina Cruiser romped in the San Diego on Saturday, Sadler said he was inclined to give the unbeaten colt more time between starts and stick with his original plan to make Accelerate his lone representative in the Aug. 18 Pacific Classic. Both Catalina Cruiser and Accelerate are owned by Kosta and Pete Hronis.
Accelerate worked five furlongs on Sunday morning in 59.60 seconds, which tied for the fastest of 69 works at the distance.
Sadler on Saturday had left open the possibility of running Catalina Cruiser in the Pacific Classic and re-routing Accelerate to the Whitney at Saratoga. But having pondered the situation overnight, he thought running Catalina Cruiser going 1 1/4 miles in the Pacific Classic in his fourth start might be a bit much, so he was inclined to wait with him for something later this summer or fall, perhaps the 1 1/8-mile Awesome Again at Santa Anita at the end of September.
Sadler said the San Diego “couldn’t have gone any better.”
“He’s made a nice progression,” Sadler said of Catalina Cruiser.
Accelerate already owns 1 1/4-mile wins this year in the Santa Anita Handicap and Gold Cup at Santa Anita.
Sadler said the main yearend objectives are the Breeders’ Cup Classic for Accelerate and Dirt Mile for Catalina Cruiser. This year’s Breeders’ Cup is Nov. 2-3 at Churchill Downs.
San Clemente yields 7 for Oaks
Led by race winner War Heroine, the first seven finishers of Saturday’s Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes at Del Mar are candidates for the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on Aug. 18.
The $202,760 San Clemente, run at a mile on turf, produced a tight finish, with 5-1 War Heroine prevailing by a neck over Ollie’s Candy, who closed well to finish a neck in front of 5-2 favorite Ms Bad Behavior.
Those fillies are likely for the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks at 1 1/8 miles along with the fourththrough seventh-place finishers – Ahimsa, Flammetta, Animosity, and West Palm Beach.
The first seven finishers were separated by four lengths in the field of 13.
War Heroine started around two turns on turf for the first time in the San Clemente, leading throughout under jockey Tyler Baze.
“She’s got a big heart and a lot of speed,” trainer Peter Miller said in the winner’s circle. “I see no reason not to try her in the Del Mar Oaks.”
Owned by Gary Barber, War Heroine has won 4 of 6 starts and earned $240,945. In February, War Heroine won the Sweet Life Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita.
Ollie’s Candy was beaten for the first time in her fourth start in the San Clemente, closing from ninth in her turf debut. Trained by William Morey, Ollie’s Candy won the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks on dirt in her stakes debut at Santa Anita in June.
“I suppose there will be some new faces in there, but you have to expect that in a Grade 1,” Morey said of the Del Mar Oaks. “I always thought she’d prefer the turf. Why stop now?”
The Del Mar Oaks field will include Paved, who won the Grade 2 Honeymoon Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Santa Anita in June and was eighth in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks at Belmont Park on July 7.