Jockey Toledo is recovering well from injury, hopes to return soon

Two months into his recovery from a collarbone injury, champion jockey Jevian Toledo is nearing a return to riding.

The 29-year-old Toledo, a four-time overall leading rider in Maryland, is awaiting medical clearance to get back on horses, which he hopes to receive next week.

“I’m doing good,” Toledo said. “I was supposed to see the doctor (Friday) but he had an emergency, so I have to go back Wednesday morning and see what is next. I’m getting therapy already and the guy from therapy is happy. He said I am doing pretty good, so hopefully I will have good news this week coming up.”

Toledo was injured during the fourth race April 21 at Laurel Park after being unseated when his mount, Jackie A, tripped over fellow rider J.G. Torrealba and Bourbon and Ice, who had stumbled when in tight quarters at the top of the stretch and fell. Both horses walked off the track.

The riders were taken to University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center. Then a five-pound apprentice, Torrealba was released and returned the next racing day, finishing as the spring meet’s leading jockey. Toledo, tied for second in the standings at the time of the spill, was subsequently sent to R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

“The bone was dislocated through the inside, not through the outside, so they had to do surgery and put the bone where it was before. They told me I could not pull anything if I wanted to keep the bone in place,” Toledo said. “Now I’m putting weight on it and I’ve been feeling good, so hopefully that’s a good sign.”

Toledo, who turns 30 on Aug. 20, led all Maryland riders in wins at Laurel and historic Pimlico Race Course in 2015, 2017, 2021 and 2022. The 10-time meet champion rode 130 winners in the state last year, finishing third behind Jaime Rodriguez (166) and Jeiron Barbosa (137), and earned a career-high $8.19 million in purses overall.

“I’ve been doing therapy like a month already. I go twice a week, so I’ve been like eight times. It looks like everything’s going good,” he said. “Hopefully after the doctor sees me, he at least lets me start getting on a couple horses to see how I’m feeling and then we’ll decide after that.”