Velazquez back in the saddle at Palm Meadows

Jockey John Velazquez is continuing his recovery from injuries sustained in a

spill at Santa Anita on November 2 and hopes to return to race-riding in February. He breezed a horse at Palm Meadows on Saturday morning to gauge his fitness

level.

"It's nice to be here and good to be getting back on horses," the Hall of

Fame rider said. "I'm coming along pretty well and I'm getting stronger.

"I

worked one instead of galloping, and the reason for that is working horses is

more similar to race-riding. When you gallop them, it's a slower movement and

you use different muscles in different ways. Working horses will get me fitter

and stronger than just galloping."

Velazquez, 42, was forced to have his spleen removed after being thrown from

Secret Compass during the running of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. He was

the regular partner of reigning Horse of the Year Wise Dan, and missed out on

riding him in his successful Breeders' Cup Mile title defense later on the same

day.

Velazquez won 37 graded stakes in 2013 despite being

sidelined during November and December.

"It felt good," Velazquez added. "I just

need to build myself up a little more and, hopefully, by the beginning of the

month I will be ready to start riding in races."

A two-time Eclipse Award

winner, Velazquez was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2012. He has ridden 5,088

winners to date, and his mounts have amassed more than $298 million.

His career

highlights include guiding Animal Kingdom to victory in the 2011 Kentucky Derby

and riding 12 individual Breeders' Cup winners.

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