Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza has tested positive for coronavirus and will be sidelined for at least 10-days, according to his agent, Brian Beach. Espinoza's positive test was first reported by Daily Racing Form.
Espinoza was named on mounts on Friday's opening day card at Del Mar near San Diego, Calif., but was taken off after he was unable to get results prior to the day's races from a coronavirus test he took earlier in the week in Orange County, north of Del Mar. A subsequent test he took in La Jolla, just south of Del Mar, came back positive Friday afternoon.
Espinoza took the tests after experiencing flu-like symptoms earlier in the week and learning that Martin Garcia, whom Espinoza came into contact with last weekend at Los Alamitos, had tested positive for coronavirus. Garcia, formerly Southern California based, rode at Los Alamitos Friday and Saturday and at Prairie Meadows in Iowa on Sunday. Garcia was tested on Tuesday at the direction of officials at Keeneland prior to that track's five-day meet that began on Wednesday, and the results came back positive.
“Victor is fine,” said Beach. “He was feeling flu-y early in the week and on Wednesday, when he found out Martin tested positive, he said, 'Uh-oh,' and got tested. He's not showing any symptoms now.”
Beach said Espinoza has been extremely careful since the coronavirus pandemic was declared in March. “He moved to his home in Del Mar during the Santa Anita shutdown,” Beach said. “He wanted to do everything he could to avoid exposure to this.”
Beach said his understanding is that Espinoza will be unable to ride in California for a minimum of 10 days from the day of the positive test.
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