  on ESPN.com | Bailey's back just in time for Breeders' Cup Richard Rosenblatt Associated Press GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - A top priority for Jerry Bailey is riding a whole bunch of star thoroughbreds on Breeders' Cup day. This year, it almost didn't happen.
The Hall of Fame jockey fell off a ladder and broke his left wrist last month while trying to install storm windows at his Florida home before Hurricane Frances.
"The moment I hit the ground, I knew I hurt my arm, not knowing how bad," Bailey said. "I started adding up the weeks, trying to decipher if this was going to take me out of the Breeders' Cup or not."
Not. Bailey's back.
He also snared mounts aboard Storm Flag Flying in the BC Distaff, Balletto in the BC Juvenile Fillies, Kela in the BC Sprint, and Aubonne in the BC Filly & Mare Turf.
"If any of these horses get beat," Bailey declared, "it won't be because I'm not ready."
Bailey is ready just about every time he jumps on a horse. With 14 Breeders' Cup victories, including four in the showcase BC Classic, he has more wins than any other rider in racing's unofficial world championships.
The freak injury sidelined Bailey for six weeks, his longest absence due to injury in nearly 20 years.
"I was hurt in 1984, '85 and '86, and they were all like three months each," Bailey said recently at Belmont Park in New York. "Since then, I've been kind of bulletproof. I've been very fortunate not to have anything too severe."
The native Texan took on an aggressive rehab program so he would have time to regain his race-riding touch. He returned to riding about 1{ weeks ago at Belmont, after exercising horses for a few days at Calder in Miami, and he plans to ride at Lone Star in the days leading up to the eight-race, $14 million Breeders' Cup.
During his recovery in Florida, Bailey increased his usual workout routine. The daily half-mile swim became a mile; calisthenics were upped to two 45-minute sessions daily; and weight training remained the same, an hour a day. Wrist-strengthening exercises were added.
"I did a two-month program in about three weeks, that's how accelerated it was," the 47-year-old jockey said.
His only concern was that hurry-up rehab might push his body too far, too fast.
"And then you regress and you have no chance of making it back," Bailey said. "It's like getting a horse ready to race again. You push them what you think you have to push them to make the race, and hope the body can take it."
Perhaps the biggest worry facing injured riders are the mounts they lose while out of action.
In Bailey's case, he was bumped off Kitten's Joy for the Breeders' Cup Turf, where the 3-year-old colt is the likely favorite. Owner Ken Ramsey made the move even though Bailey had won four of the five times he rode the horse. John Velazquez, New York's leading rider, replaced the injured Bailey on Kitten's Joy and won the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic on Oct. 2.
Ramsey is sticking with Velazquez.
Bailey "was disappointed and frustrated when we had to go shopping for another jockey because he broke his wrist," said Ramsey, who also will saddle Roses in May in the Classic and Nothing to Lose in the Mile. "But I believe in life you have to play the cards that you're dealt. And with the uncertainty of it, or how Jerry would come back, we had a decision to make."
Said Ron Anderson, Bailey's agent: "We were shocked."
Then there's Richard Mandella, who trains probable Classic favorite Pleasantly Perfect. He replaced injured regular rider Alex Solis with Bailey, and the super sub delivered a victory in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 22. With Solis still out, Mandella wasn't about to make another change unless Bailey was unavailable.
"I was confident with the explanation that he could be back in good shape by the Breeders' Cup," Mandella said. "When I made the choice to replace Alex, I did so because I thought he (Bailey) was a great rider and a perfect fit for the horse. And I'm going to stay with that."
Bailey, a seven-time Eclipse Award winner as the nation's top rider, rode the France-based Six Perfections to victory in last year's BC Mile at Santa Anita, and the owners wanted him again.
It didn't hurt Bailey to be a free agent when it came to the Distaff. He was the regular rider for Sightseek, but the 5-year-old mare was retired this month, and Bailey picked up Storm Flag Flying, the 2002 juvenile filly champion. Velazquez, Storm Flag Flying's regular rider, is committed to Ashado in the Distaff.
"Jerry picked up Arcangues at the last minute, too," Anderson said, referring to the horse who won the 1993 Classic at record odds of 134-1. "So you never know."
Bailey won't have a ride for the BC Turf or the BC Juvenile. Anderson tried to get Bailey on Powerscourt in the Turf and Afleet Alex in the Juvenile, but both trainers decided to stick with their regular riders.
"I've been very focused on getting back and getting to the Breeders' Cup," Bailey said. "I'm just glad I'm able to ride." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
