After receiving a prognosis that had him sidelined into July with a fractured wrist, Dave Kelly is set to return the racebike on Sunday (June 27) roughly three weeks ahead of schedule.
Kelly, who sustained a mild concussion and a broken wrist after being unseated in a qualifier at Century Downs on May 19, told Trot Insider that his timeframe for return after surgery on May 26 was "six to eight weeks, as long as things heal up properly."
A look at the entries for Sunday's card of harness racing at Century Downs lists the 2019 Future Star Award winner in 10 of the 11 dashes. Does Kelly garner consideration for the fastest healer award of 2021?
"I was lucky enough to get into hyperbaric chamber therapy and did everything I could to get it rehabbed and strengthened up and got to cut a couple weeks off [the recovery time]," Kelly told Trot Insider on Thursday.
The season started strong for Kelly, although that start to the season ended less than a day after it started. On the season-opening card at Century Downs, Kelly picked up a driving hat trick and his UDR on that single card was a solid 0.434. The next day, he broke his wrist after being unseated when another horse suddenly veered into his during a qualifier. He'll have 10 chances to have his picture taken on Sunday on the driving side, while sending out eight of his pupils on the training side.
"The hand feels great, I’ve been training this week with no pain and my strength has come back quick. I can’t wait to get back going."
Sunday's card features the $45,100 Alberta Diamond Final for three-year-old pacing fillies in the ninth race and the $45,100 Alberta Marksman for sophomore pacing colts in the finale. To view the entries for Sunday's card, click the following link: Sunday Entries - Century Downs.