ARCADIA, Calif. -- Triple Crown-winning jockey Victor Espinoza is planning a comeback in late December after suffering a fractured vertebra in his neck during a training accident at Del Mar.
That's according to his agent Brian Beach, who said 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 said 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 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.