You can't keep a great rider down. Not for long, anyway.
Agent Ron Anderson told drf.com Sept. 23 that superstar Frankie Dettori will return from an injury absence Sept. 29, only 10 days after suffering a separated shoulder when he was unseated in a race at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Dettori is scheduled to ride undefeated 2-year-old filly May Day Ready in the Miss Grillo Stakes (G2) at The Big A. The winner of the 1 1/16-mile grass race will receive an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
May Day Ready, a daughter of Tapit , is 2-for-2. Dettori rode both races, including a 1 3/4-length victory last time in the listed, $1 million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Stakes. Afterward, Dettori reflected on his connection with May Day Ready's mother, Nemoralia, and trainer Joseph Lee.
"I won a few stakes with the dam," Dettori said. "Joe used to work ride with me at Godolphin many moons ago. We go back a long time. Look, he doesn't have that many horses. For him to win a big race, I'm delighted."
Dettori is high on May Day Ready's potential. "She's still a bit green, so that's good," he said, "because that means there's room for improvement. I suspect she has a shot at the Breeders' Cup."
