Rispoli Begins Physical Therapy After Multiple Fractures, Return Timetable Unknown

Nearly two months after a spill at Gulfstream Park left him with fractures to his ankle, tibia, and fibula, jockey Umberto Rispoli has begun physical therapy. His agent, Matt Nakatani, confirmed the update on March 15 but offered no timetable for the 37-year-old's return to riding. "The best we can do is take it day-by-day," Nakatani told the Daily Racing Form.

The injury stems from a frightening incident during the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint on the Pegasus World Cup undercard on Jan. 24. Near the sixteenth pole, John Velazquez and My Boy Prince appeared to drift in front of Rispoli and his mount, Unconquerable Keen. The 7-year-old gelding trained by Phil D'Amato clipped heels in deep stretch and stumbled, sending Rispoli over his left shoulder. Unconquerable Keen regained his footing, galloped out with the field, was collared by outriders after the race, and walked off under his own power, escaping injury. My Boy Prince and Velazquez finished third.

In the immediate aftermath, Nakatani posted on X that tests confirmed fractures to the ankle, tibia, and fibula. "At this time, he is in good spirits and under great care at a nearby hospital," Nakatani wrote. "Umberto is focused on one thing and one thing only, getting back to the saddle as soon as possible."

The recovery has required multiple surgical interventions. A second surgery, intended to stabilize an injury and specifically address the fibula fracture, was reported on Jan. 29. "He's going to have surgery tomorrow morning and then is looking to come home early next week," Nakatani told the Daily Racing Form at that time. While physical therapy has now begun, there remains no firm return window; Rispoli is expected to be sidelined for several months.

The timing is particularly costly given what Rispoli accomplished in 2025. He moved to the United States in 2020 after establishing himself as a leading rider in Italy and Hong Kong, but last year marked a breakthrough on American soil. Aboard Journalism, Rispoli won the Preakness Stakes, his first American Classic, along with the Santa Anita Derby, Haskell Stakes, and San Felipe Stakes. The partnership also produced three runner-up finishes in the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Pacific Classic, all Grade 1 races.

At 37, with a Preakness title and one of the sport's most productive partnerships of 2025 behind him, Rispoli's recovery carries significant weight in Southern California's jockey standings. For now, the work is happening in the therapy room, not the saddle.