Stevens takes mount for BC just 14 weeks after knee replacement

Stevens takes mount for BC just 14 weeks after knee

replacement

Hall of Fame jockey and 10-time Breeders' Cup winner Gary

Stevens will be riding the Breeders' Cup World Championships exactly 14 weeks to

the day after undergoing total knee replacement surgery on July 25.

Stevens will be aboard Sivoliere in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on

October 31., reuniting with owner Martin Schwartz and trainer

Chad Brown.

Stevens and Martin Schwartz famously won the Beverly D. at

Arlington Park in 2005 aboard Angara. It was Stevens' first mount back at

Arlington after his near career-ending fall there in the 2003 Arlington Million.

"I feel like we got the band back together. I couldn't be more excited," Schwartz

remarked after speaking with Stevens about riding the race.

Stevens rode his last

race in July for Brown, before announcing he was taking some time off to get his

right knee replaced.

"It was something that I knew I would need to do

eventually. I just put it off until I had to deal with it," the rider explained.

"I always hoped I would be able to ride in the Breeders' Cup this year, but I

knew that I wasn't going to do it unless I was 110 percent. I'm so grateful to

have owners and trainers that believe in me."

Stevens scored a nice Breeders' Cup double last year when piloting Mucho

Macho Man to victory in the Classic and guiding Beholder to capture the Distaff

one day prior. Neither horse is

running in this year's races.

"Nothing can top the Breeders' Cup I had last year," he admitted. "But being

able to go out there and ride at the highest level, for great people only three

months after having a new knee put in, well it's right up there."

The Breeders Cup will be held at Santa Anita Park in

Arcadia, California, on October 31-November 1.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com