Nerve Injury Forces Jockey Steiner to Retire

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(from Santa Anita notes)
Southern California-based jockey Joe Steiner has announced his retirement. The 41-year-old native of Renton, Wash., has not ridden since April of last year after suffering an injury in a spill at Santa Anita.

"I had a herniated disc and bone spurs in my left shoulder area, and I needed a plate and six screws before it was fused together," said Steiner, who was Southern California's leading apprentice rider in 1981-82.

"They thought it might be a rotator cuff at first, but it was a nerve. Doctors advised me to retire. If I was 20, I wouldn't care what the doctors said. But I'm 41, so I'm not going to leave in a wheelchair."

Steiner retired with 967 wins, 1,001 seconds and 1,078 thirds from 10,010 career mounts, which earned $15,232,139.

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