Abel Cedillo will ride two races today at Del Mar and then pack up his tack and move east, to Florence, Ky. and Turfway Park for its winter meeting that starts Nov. 29.
He has every intention of returning to the seaside oval next summer, but says the timing just seemed right to try something new.
“I just want to go because I’ve never gone out of California,” Cedillo says. “I’m still young so I don’t want to wait until I’m too old to make the move. I’ll take my chance right now.”
It’s not the first “chance” the 34-year-old jockey has taken in his career. In 2019, after capturing the riding title up at Golden Gate Fields, Cedillo moved to the highly competitive Southern California circuit where he made quite a splash. He finished third at his first meeting, Del Mar’s summer session, then tied for the top spot during Santa Anita Park‘s autumn meet only to return to Del Mar and win the Bing Crosby Season’s riding crown.
“One of the agents at Turfway Park (Jimmy McNerney) called me and said he had some good people who could help me,” Cedillo says. “He asked if I wanted to come with him. I was trying to go to Oaklawn but I decided with my family to go to Kentucky.”
Cedillo was off to a decent start this past summer at Del Mar. After two days of racing he had won two races and was looking forward to another successful meet. But it all came to a crashing halt on day three when his mount in the fourth race clipped heels with another horse shortly after the start of the race, unseating Cedillo who landed awkwardly on his head.
He suffered a broken bone in his neck and was sidelined for the remainder of the meet. He avoided having surgery and instead went through a rigorous rehab.
“It took six weeks,” Cedillo says. “I was working out in the gym by myself and doing my routine. Sometimes in the morning I get up and I’m a little sore. But soon as I start working I feel better. I feel a 100% now.”
Cedillo returned to the races on Sept. 22 at Los Alamitos and went on to ride at Santa Anita, but only managed one win from 27 mounts.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
