by Frank Angst

While every rider looks forward to competing in races like the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Kentucky Derby (G1), this year’s races are extra special to rider Rafael Bejarano.

On March 13, Bejarano cracked his fifth and sixth vertebrae when he was thrown from his mount, Parisian Art, who suffered an apparent heart attack inside the eighth pole and died. At the time, Bejarano was fitted in a brace and his doctor estimated Bejarano would miss at least one month of riding.

At the time, the Kentucky Derby was the last thing on the 25-year-old rider’s mind.

“I was thinking about recovering,” Bejarano said.

Bejarano was able to return to riding in just three weeks and he secured the Santa Anita riding title with 67 victories.

“That meant a lot to me,” Bejarano said of earning the riding title despite the injury. “It was great that when I came back, I still had top horses.”

On Friday, Bejarano has the mount on Grade 1 winner Country Star in the Kentucky Oaks and Grade 2 winner Anak Nakal in the Derby. He is looking forward to both races.

Bejarano will be competing in the Derby for the fourth straight year. He won spring meet riding titles at Churchill in 2004 and ’05 and a fall meet title in ’05. While he will ride at Churchill this week, Bejarano plans to continue to compete primarily in Southern California for the rest of the year.

Frank Angst is senior writer of Thoroughbred Times