Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux will be on the sidelines after suffering what he called “a couple lil bone cracks in my back” as a result of a spill in Saturday's fifth race at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.
Desormeaux, who turns 51 on Feb. 27, was aboard Scat's Choice for trainer Vann Belvoir in the $25,000 claiming race going six furlongs on the main track when the horse suffered a catastrophic injury approaching the far turn while just behind the early leader. Desormeaux was thrown to the ground but did not appear to be struck by any trailing horses.
Scat's Choice, a 3-year-old filly by First Samurai, was euthanized, the first main track racing casualty at Santa Anita since 2019.
Complaining of hip soreness, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times, the rider was taken to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena for diagnosis. On Sunday morning, after returning to his home, Desormeaux posted the following on Facebook.
Good Morning all.
Thx for your concern
The spill caused a couple lil bone cracks in my back. I have returned home. No surgery.
Dr. Says its completely a pain management situation.Posted by Kent J Desormeaux on Sunday, January 24, 2021
Desormeaux returned to riding at the start of the Santa Anita winter meet after taking five months off, in part because of a ban by officials at Del Mar stemming from an on-site incident that took place after the races. He was also suspended by stewards for 15 days for disorderly conduct that included a racial slur and aggressive behavior. During the down time, Desormeaux entered an alcohol rehabilitation facility.
With more than 6,000 career wins and three Eclipse Awards, Desormeaux has been slow to gather momentum since returning. He finished 2020 winning with one of four mounts, with two thirds, at the start of the Santa Anita meet, but has gone 0-for-26 in 2021, with four seconds and four thirds.
Scat's Choice had not recorded any workouts since a Dec. 5 breeze at the Thoroughbred Center in Lexington, Ky., but the filly raced twice in December, finishing eighth at West Virginia's Mountaineer Park Dec. 13 and then fifth Dec. 29 at Mahoning Valley in Ohio. She was trained by James Chapman prior to being sent to Belvoir in Southern California. She won one of 10 races after being purchased as a yearling by Chapman and Stuart Tsujimoto for $5,000.
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