Rafael Bejarano, the leading rider at the current Ellis Park meet, will be sidelined until Aug. 28 after undergoing surgery in a Louisville hospital Wednesday to have a small, non-malignant growth removed from his pancreas.

Bejarano’s agent, Julio Espinoza, said the 38-year-old jockey had been experiencing “a little pain in his side,” leading to the required surgery. “Thankfully he’s going to be fine.”

Bejarano has not ridden since last Sunday, when he won the Runhappy Debutante with Crazy Beautiful and one other race from seven mounts. Espinoza said Bejarano is resting comfortably in his Louisville home.

Bejarano, a native of Peru, returned this spring to Kentucky from his longtime base in southern California, where he was among the top jockeys for years. His formative years in America actually were spent on the Kentucky circuit, where he also was among the perennial leaders until leaving for California in the fall of 2007. He has ridden 4,090 winners, and his mounts have earned more than $206 million.

With just seven cards remaining at the 25-day summer meet at Ellis, Bejarano holds an 18-15 lead over another longtime Southern California regular, Joe Talamo, atop the local standings. Espinoza said Bejarano should be able to return for the last three days of the meet (Aug. 28-30).

Meanwhile, Espinoza said he believes Bejarano “has an excellent chance” to pick up a mount for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, given that a number of top jockeys will not be coming for the race because of the highly restrictive COVID-19 quarantine protocols recently announced. Bejarano has ridden 10 times in the Derby but hasn’t had a mount since 2015.