Calvin Borel To Miss 5-6 Weeks Of Riding After Undergoing Surgery for Broken Jaw

Nov 21, 2010 Gary Yunt

BOREL SIDELINED 5-6 WEEKS WITH BROKEN JAW – Jockey Calvin Borel suffered a broken jaw when he was thrown from his mount and kicked by a trailing horse on Saturday in the $1 million Delta Jackpot (Grade III) at Delta Downs in Louisiana.

“A stifle locked up on the horse he was on (Aces N Kings) and he pushed Calvin out and dropped him,” said Jerry Hissam, Borel’s longtime agent. “The trailing horse (Blue Laser) that Shaun (Bridgmohan) was on kicked him.”

Borel returned to Louisville a little after 10 o’clock Saturday night and was scheduled for surgery Sunday morning.

“It was just bad racing luck, the fortunes of our sport,” Hissam said. “Actually, he was fortunate in a way that he didn’t get kicked an inch or two lower which would have been right in the larynx.”

Borel, who is second all time in victories at Churchill Downs with 1,034 and has ridden an unprecedented three of the past four winners of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (GI), had nine wins through the Fall Meet.  That total has Borel tied for fourth place in the rider standings.

“He will be out for five to six weeks,” Hissam said. “He should be back for the start of the Oaklawn Park meet (Jan. 14).”

MRS. REVERE WINNER ARUNA HEADED TO FLORIDA ON MONDAY – Flaxman Holdings Ltd.’s Aruna, stylish winner of Saturday’s Mrs. Revere (GII) for 3-year-old fillies, was doing well Sunday morning according to Heather Craig, assistant to trainer Graham Motion.

“Everything is good this morning and she heads to Florida tomorrow morning,” Craig said. “Graham was pretty excited yesterday. This was a big deal.”

The Mrs. Revere was the third victory in three U.S. starts for Aruna and her first graded stakes victory.

“Ramon (Dominguez) did a great job of getting her to settle yesterday,” Craig said. “I told him that she had really been keen since she got here (at mid-week) and she was on the bridle right out of the gate.”

While Aruna will be heading south, Craig will be going west a day later.

'I go to California on Tuesday for Gypsy’s Warning in the (Grade I) Matriarch,” Craig said of the Motion trainee who is running in Friday’s $250,000 turf test at a mile.

Aruna likely will resurface at Keeneland in the spring, also the likely return time for third-place Mrs. Revere finisher Fugitive Angel.

'I thought she ran a good race and she is fine this morning,” trainer Jonathan Sheppard said of the filly who had a four-race win streak snapped in the 1 1/16-mile Mrs. Revere. “I think she wants more ground. She is done for the year and we hope to have her back at Keeneland in the spring.”

Trainer Tom Proctor reported that  Wild Mia and Snow Top Mountain, the second- and fourth-place finishers Saturday, came out of the race fine.

“Snow Top Mountain will come back in the spring at Keeneland,” Proctor said. “The Sunshine Millions (Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park) may be next for Wild Mia. I don’t know if she can go that far (1 1/8 miles), but you have to try it.”

The Mrs. Revere was the first graded-stakes try for Wild Mia, who got a ground-saving trip from jockey Freddie Lenclud.

“Everybody thought I was going to send her to the lead, but Freddie did everything I asked him to,” Proctor said. “I told him to rate, rate, rate and he did.”

APPRENTICE PEDROZA JR. HEATING UP WITH FOUR-WIN WEEK – After a quiet beginning to the meet, 17-year-old apprentice jockey Marcelino Pedroza Jr. is heating up after riding four winners in the past four days.

The most recent score came in Saturday’s 10th race when he skimmed the rail to get Angelica Zapata up in time to win my nose. Was there any doubt he had won?

“No problem. I knew I got up,” Pedroza said with a laugh.

A nephew of longtime Southern California-based rider Martin Pedroza, the native of Panama City, Panama, is being represented by former rider Julio Espinoza, the ninth all-time leading rider at Churchill Downs with 642 victories.

“He is going to ride the holiday meet at Turfway Park and then go to New York for the winter,” Espinoza said of Pedroza, who posted his initial three victories during the Keeneland meet.

Through Espinoza, Pedroza said he spends a lot of time watching replays in which he pays particular attention to how the track is playing daily and the tendencies of other riders such as who is aggressive and who is patient.

Even though Espinoza started Pedroza in Kentucky, he is not apprehensive about going to New York and starting to work with new clientele.

“I feel I have the best apprentice in the nation,” Espinoza said. “He works hard and the cream will rise to the top.”

BARN TALK — Jockey Leandro Goncalves was injured during training Saturday morning and will not ride for the remainder of the meet. “He was getting ready to work a horse and the horse stumbled before the work and Leandro’s thumb jammed in the horse’s neck,” said Jim McNerney, agent for Goncalves. “There are no breaks, but there is possible ligament damage. He is going to see a specialist, Dr. (Raymond) Shea, on Monday, but he will not ride again during this meet.” The 28-year-old native of Brazil had ridden four winners through the first 14 days of the meet that concludes next Sunday, Nov. 28. …

Giant Oak, who was placed fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon (GIII) in his most recent start, worked a half-mile in :47.20 over a fast track Sunday morning in preparation for a possible start Friday in the Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (GI). The move was the fastest of 48 at the distance. Other works of note Sunday included a bullet five furlongs in 1:00.20 by WinStar Farm’s  Brethren, a homebred half-brother to Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver. The Distorted Humor colt is nominated to Saturday’s Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (GII), a race won by Super Saver last year. Champagne d’Oro, fourth in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (GI) in her most recent start, returned to the work tab with a :49.40 half-mile move. Seeking the Title, prepping for a run in Saturday’s Gazelle (GI) at Aqueduct, worked five furlongs in 1:02.