News AP News Agent: Jockey Espinoza plans comeback in late December

Agent: Jockey Espinoza plans comeback in late December

Triple Crown-winning jockey Victor Espinoza is planning a comeback in late December after fracturing a vertebra in his neck during a training accident at Del Mar

Agent: Jockey Espinoza plans comeback in late December Image Source : APAgent: Jockey Espinoza plans comeback in late December

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — Triple Crown-winning jockey Victor Espinoza is planning a comeback in late December after fracturing a vertebra in his neck during a training accident at Del Mar.

That's according to his agent Brian Beach, who says Friday that Espinoza saw his doctors this week and they are pleased with his progress. However, they're not yet ready to release the 46-year-old Hall of Fame jockey to ride again.

Beach says on his Twitter account that Espinoza "wants to be 100 percent when he comes back."

A late December return would allow Espinoza to ride at Santa Anita, which opens its winter-spring meet on Dec. 26.

Espinoza got hurt July 22 when he fell while exercising a horse.

He rode American Pharoah to a Triple Crown sweep in 2015.

Disclaimer: This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Associated Press (AP) wire.