‘Starting all over,’ Victor Espinoza a runner-up in first race back

Fans greeted Victor Espinoza on Monday at Santa Anita Park with signs and cheers, and he nearly delivered them a win in his return to the saddle.

Aboard 4-5 favorite Gallantlystreaming in the opener on Presidents Day, the Hall of Fame jockey guided the 3-year-old filly down the hillside turf course to be second behind 9-1 upsetter Queen Of The Track, who was much the best in the 6 1/2-furlong race for maiden claimers.

“It’s just incredible to know that I continue my career,” Espinoza told TVG’s Britney Eurton in his walk to the paddock. “I feel like I’m starting all over again.”

The popular former jockey for American Pharoah and California Chrome was riding his first race since a morning training incident last July at Del Mar, where a fall when his horse collapsed left the jockey with a spine injury that required surgery and lengthy rehab.

Espinoza, 46, was unsure whether he’d ever be back aboard a horse, and he sought multiple doctors’ opinions before getting a leg up again.

After hitting the wire, Espinoza quipped that “I think I’m ready to go for another six or seven races a day.”

Gallantlystreaming is trained by John Sadler for Hronis Racing, same connections as recently named champion Accelerate, Espinoza’s top assignment at the time of his injury. 

“Probably, many other trainers, they have a question mark for me," Espinoza said. "Probably they don’t have that much faith in me to come back. John has always had a lot of faith in me. We’ve had a lot of success, and we’re going to continue.”

Espinoza, who has ridden three Kentucky Derby winners in all, said it's his goal to get back to Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.

"Hopefully I can find a Derby horse," he said. "That would be so awesome to come back and ride in the race — not just ride it, I win it again.”