Jockey Gerard Melancon said Monday he has tested positive for the coronavirus and is in quarantine at home. He is based at Evangeline Downs in Opelousas, La., but last rode at Lone Star Park near Dallas. 

Melancon, 53, traveled to town to ride Mocito Rojo in the $75,000 Lone Star Park Mile on June 28. The track on Sunday suspended racing indefinitely, announcing it was due to the coronavirus. The track canceled the cards for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

 Melancon said after riding in Dallas on June 28 he returned home and on June 29, “spiked a fever of 104 and had an ugly cough.

 “I had a headache - I never get a headache - and I called my doctor.”

 Melancon was tested for coronavirus on June 29, but later learned the results would not return for an extended period of time. He was able to take a “rapid test” on June 30, and it came back negative for coronavirus.

 Melancon went to Evangeline to ride the July 1 card, but felt dizzy and took a shower.

 “A lot of times if you’re dehydrated, you feel a little off,” he said. “But I was trying to put my jockey pants on and I couldn’t stand up on one leg. I went to the ambulance.”

 Melancon said he did not have a temperature and his blood pressure was normal, but an EKG read as if he was having a heart attack. He was sent to the local hospital, which ultimately diagnosed him with an acute case of pneumonia.

 Melancon began antibiotics, recovered his health, and wanted to resume riding July 3. He asked his doctor for guidance and was able to line out another coronavirus test, which came back positive. He’s since been quarantined at home, and has been prescribed both antibiotics and hydroxychloroquine.  

 “I don’t know if I picked it up in Dallas,” he said.  

 “I never had a symptom since [June 29]. Other than being dizzy, I’ve had no fever, no headache.”

 Melancon said he hopes to resume riding in the next two weeks, when he’s cleared by his doctors.

 Melancon long has been a leading rider in the Southwest market and through Monday had won 4,910 career Thoroughbred races in North America, according to records from Daily Racing Form.