Francisco Leandro to Undergo Surgery Saturday, Faces Two-Month Recovery

The jockey fractured the thumb on his left hand in a spill during Friday’s ninth race at Palermo, delaying his trip to Dubai by several weeks

Francisco Leandro to Begin Recovery on Sunday / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

By Diego H. Mitagstein

“Everything happens for a reason.” With that philosophy, Francisco Leandro is approaching the accident he suffered in Friday’s ninth race at Palermo, when he came off Napoleón Hit (Hit It a Bomb) after being bumped among rivals, suffering a fracture in the upper part of his left thumb.

The timing couldn’t have been worse. The Brazilian rider was on the verge of packing his bags for Dubai, where he is contracted to ride during the 2025/26 season for Sky Racing, alongside trainers Antonio Cintra and Julio Olascoaga.

Though he is taking the situation calmly, his voice carries notes of frustration as he awaits surgery scheduled for Saturday. “The doctors told me recovery will take between a month and a half and two, but I’ll do everything possible to come back at 100%,” said the perennial leading rider.

“I hadn’t had accidents in a while—since 2021, when I suffered a couple of falls and a fracture—but that’s part of this profession. You never know when a blow or an accident like this might happen,” added the multiple-time Jockey of the Year, who will now also miss the prestigious Oct. 18 card at Gávea, where he was booked to ride Happy Man (Mendelssohn) in the Gran Premio Latinoamericano (G1).

On his rehabilitation, Leandro explained: “I’m still deciding. Maybe I’ll start here and once I’m improving, I’ll travel. It depends on what I discuss with Antonio and what Sky Racing decides. I don’t want to rush it—otherwise, the finger might not heal right and could bother me later.”

If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the jockey will only miss the opening weeks of the Emirates Racing season, which typically features lower-level races. He should be fit in time for the International Carnival, though his plan was to start riding earlier to get familiar with the horses, tracks, and atmosphere. “I already had a mount lined up for opening day,” he lamented.

Leandro expects to travel alone initially, with his family possibly joining later. “School and some other things don’t allow us all to leave right away. We’ll see how circumstances play out and then decide,” he said.

He also commented on his colleague William Pereyra, who will ride in Dubai for Oasis Stable: “When the opportunity came up, he called me for advice. I told him that if I were him, I’d go. It’s six months, and you have to take the chance. He’ll be riding for the top trainer with good horses—the jockey before him was Silvestre de Sousa.”

Between intensive English lessons and patience, Francisco Leandro now focuses on recovery from his untimely injury. Starting Sunday, the comeback begins, with the rider determined to be back in the saddle soon—ready to showcase his talent on the world stage at Meydan and across the Emirates.