Delahoussaye: Will Retire if Gets Less Than 100% Approval from Doctors

Edited release from Santa Anita
Eddie Delahoussaye will retire from riding if he doesn't receive 100% approval from his doctors to resume his career after he visits with them on Jan. 13.

The 51-year-old Hall of Fame jockey suffered serious injuries in a spill at Del Maron Aug. 30 and has been sidelined since. He had been scheduled for an MRI on Dec. 9, but it was delayed until Jan. 13 on advice of his doctors.

"Like I said before, if they won't release me, I'm just gonna hang it up," Delahoussaye said at Santa Anita's Clockers' Corner Thursday morning. "Those doctors don't want to put themselves on the line, I guess," Delahoussaye said in explaining the delay with the MRI. "Not only that, I told them I want to come back to ride. I guess they figured I still have to do therapy, but I don't have the answer (as to the delay). All I know is I'm still having problems with my neck and I still have to do therapy. I'm hoping by the 13th it will be good and they can release me, but if it's not, I'm not going to continue. The longer I'm out, the harder it is (to come back).

"But my neck is making progress," Delahoussaye continued. "I'm doing a lot better than I was three months ago. But will my neck be a 100 percent and will they release me? I don't know."