A Leading Rider Returns During Recovery

Although he won’t be riding today, Saturday or any time soon, jockey Ramon Sanchez will be a welcome visitor to the track this weekend.

Sanchez, 26, who suffered a head injury in a nasty spill in the first race Feb. 23, was released from Long Beach Memorial Hospital on Tuesday and is scheduled to come to Los Alamitos to see friends.

Sanchez, the leading rider at the track the last two seasons and the American Quarter Horse Racing Assn.’s champion jockey in 2002, is undergoing physical therapy at a facility in Pomona, and although he wants to return to riding, it is unclear when he will be able to come back.

The main event on tonight’s card is a $12,550 allowance for 3-year-olds at 350 yards. Recent maiden winners Poza and Special Fast Lady, both fillies, will take on Shawnee Slade, Hi Tori, A Tempting Chick and Chiricao.

The picks: 1. Local Call. 2. Ura Vision. 3. Simonize. 4. Siward. 5. Lady Bonafide. 6. Cielo Apache. 7. Isolation. 8. Hi Tori. 9. Gorsuch.

Four! Use Star’s Wild, Cielo Apache and Spring Bold in the sixth, Isolation, Call Me Mr Feature and Traffic Attraction in the seventh, Hi Tori and Special Fast Lady in the eighth and single Gorsuch in the ninth.

Shots in the dark: Brandons Starlite moves to the inside post in the fourth. Dash Short gets jockey Joe Badilla Jr. for her debut for trainer Charlie Bloomquist in the fifth.

Post time: 7:15 p.m.

On the Net: For entries and results from Los Alamitos, visit: www.latimes.com/horseracing/