Brian Hernandez Jr., who suffered numerous broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and a lacerated liver in a Sept. 21 fall at Churchill Downs, is set to resume riding next week at the Louisville, Ky., track. He rides Sir Greylind in the eighth race and potentially Patron Silver in the fifth race, though the latter is an also-eligible and needs other horses to be scratched to compete.
Hernandez said he "feels good" after exercising horses during morning training. "I'm just ready to get back in action," he noted.
His initial mounts are for trainer Kenny McPeek, with whom he teamed to win the 2024 Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Kentucky Derby (G1) with Thorpedo Anna and Mystik Dan , respectively.
Hernandez was aboard Sgt. Garcia, a 2-year-old for McPeek, in a maiden $30,000 claimer on Sept. 21 when the horse had a catastrophic leg injury, unseating the jockey. He was stepped upon on his chest after falling, he said.
The 40-year-old jockey had hoped to resume riding in late October before the Breeders' Cup, but he had to delay his return after a post-surgery scan of his liver revealed blood clots. He said his doctor put him on blood thinners "to clear that up and that postponed things a couple weeks."
Hernandez plans to breeze more horses in the lead-up to his return. He will also continue working with a physical therapist.
"I met with the doctor yesterday and all the tests look good. Everything looks fine," he added.
