Authorities believe a body found Thursday could be the remains of jockey Ron Hansen, who disappeared mysteriously in early October.
The badly decomposed body was found in the mud flats of Hayward, near the San Mateo Bridge, Alameda police said.
“We’re of the opinion it was him, but until we get confirmation from the coroner we can’t confirm it,” said Lt. David Guarnieri.
Hansen’s dental records were sent to the Department of Justice, Guarnieri said. He said positive identification could take more than 24 hours.
“The size of the body and the clothing the body had on was pretty consistent with what Mr. Hansen had on when he was last seen and reported missing,” Guarnieri said.
The Alameda County coroner’s office declined to comment.
Hansen, 33, a northern California rider with nearly 3,700 career victories who rode in the Chicago area for several years, was last seen Oct. 1. His 1990 Jaguar was involved in a hit-and-run accident on a bridge spanning San Francisco Bay. The car was found abandoned near the bridge. There was no sign of Hansen.
Despite an extensive search of the waters near the bridge, authorities did not find a body.
