Del Mar: Gomez excited to return to action

DEL MAR, Calif. - Garrett Gomez wasted no time in launching his comeback at Del Mar on Friday morning.

"I bounced out of bed,” he said

Gomez, who has not ridden since July 14 after undergoing treatment for alcoholism in late July, worked two horses at Del Mar on Friday, a day after he received clearance from a doctor and approval from track stewards to resume activity. He was scheduled to resume riding Saturday.

On Sunday, Gomez has four mounts on the nine-race program but does not ride in the day’s stakes – the Grade 2 John Mabee Stakes, which drew only five fillies and mares.

Gomez took off his mounts on the opening day of this meeting July 17 and has ridden only four days since June 9 while dealing with family issues and treatment for alcoholism.

After meeting with track stewards Scott Chaney, Kim Sawyer, and Tom Ward on Aug. 2 to discuss his return to riding, Gomez was named to ride races from Wednesday through Friday of this week, pending doctor’s clearance and the results of urine tests to see if his levels of antidepressants were at baseline levels acceptable for athletic activity.

Gomez did not ride Wednesday and Thursday while he underwent counseling for substance-abuse and mental-health issues at a clinic in Newport Beach, Calif. A doctor from that clinic sent a letter to the California Horse Racing Board on Thursday recommending Gomez be allowed to resume riding. The letter arrived after early scratches were submitted for Friday’s races, postponing Gomez’s riding comeback to Saturday.

In a letter to the racing board, Dr. Robert Johnson of the Amen Clinic of Newport Beach stated that Gomez’s usage of antidepressants was no longer at a level “that was clinically active” and would not affect his athletic ability.

The Eclipse Award winner as the nation’s outstanding rider in 2007-08, Gomez had hoped to resume working horses sooner than Friday.

“I’ve been coming around, but I couldn’t do anything,” he said Friday morning. “I was excited. I was able to work.”

In an interview Thursday evening, Gomez said he had been frustrated that his return was delayed earlier this week while he underwent counseling.

“I want to move forward and do my job,” he said.

On Friday, the focus shifted to riding and reestablishing his position on the jockeys’ roster.

Gomez’s agent, Tony Matos, said Gomez is booked to ride two Grade 1 races later this month – on Wishing Gate in the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks on Aug. 17 and the English import Faraajj in the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 25.