Tag: jockey injuries

Quick Start Puts Eikleberry Atop Sam Houston Jockey Standings

It was an excellent opening weekend at Sam Houston Race Park for rider Ry Eikleberry who won seven races over the first three days of the meet at the Houston, Texas, track to top last year's leading rider Stewart Elliott and veteran jockey Danny Sorenson, who each made three trips to the winner's circle.

A native of Phoenix, Ariz., Eikleberry was the leading rider at Turf Paradise in 2009, 2010 and 2011 before riding in New Mexico. Last year, he made the move to Louisiana and Texas to ride for trainer Karl Broberg and won 42 races at Sam Houston Race Park, finishing second in the standings to Stewart Elliott.

“Honestly, I had no idea I would do that well here last year,” explained Eikleberry. “I knew I had Karl's business, but was pleasantly surprised that I got calls from a number of other trainers. Since I began riding (in 2005), there have been many ups and downs, but right now, it's very good!”

From Houston, Eikleberry had a successful meet at Canterbury Park before heading back to Delta Downs He suffered a fractured right wrist in a morning accident there, which did not require surgery, but kept him out of action for two months. Eikleberry turns 33 on Jan. 11 and looks forward to a successful year ahead.

“I was told not to ride while it healed as further trauma would have required surgery,” he said of the wrist fracture. “I was in a cast for two months and am glad I took the necessary time off. It's been a great start in Houston.”

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Rosario Back From Injury On Friday; Named On Seven Asmussen Runners At Oaklawn

The favorite to land an Eclipse Award as the country's outstanding jockey of 2021 will begin his 2022 push at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark.

Joel Rosario is named on seven horses Friday, which will mark his first day as a regular in Hot Springs and first action since suffering a hairline fracture of a rib when he was unseated shortly after the finish of a Dec. 2 race at Aqueduct.

Rosario ($32,944,478) was eyeing a single-season North American record for purse earnings before the injury. Now healthy, Rosario's return to the saddle will fall on his 37th birthday.

“He takes care of himself like no one, probably, you've ever met,” Rosario's agent, Ron Anderson, said Saturday afternoon. “He's exceptionally fit … his lady friend is a nutritionist. She's taught him how to take care of his weight, what to eat, what not to eat. He's ready to go at all times. It will be six weeks since he fell and he had a hairline fracture. It's time to get started again.”

All seven horses Rosario is named on Friday are for Hall of Famer and perennial Oaklawn training champion Steve Asmussen. Rosario and Asmussen teamed to win the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) Nov. 5 at Del Mar with unbeaten Echo Zulu. Rosario won the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) the following day aboard Knicks Go for trainer Brad Cox.

Cox (12 victories) and Asmussen (11) entered Sunday leading the 2021-2022 Oaklawn trainer standings. Coupled with Oaklawn's purse structure, the highest in the country this winter, Anderson said Oaklawn is a perfect fit for Rosario, who has enjoyed immense success in Hot Springs, particularly in 2020. Rosario wintered last year at Santa Anita, but Anderson has Hall of Famer John Velazquez there in 2022. Velazquez's major client is Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

“We have success for two guys that are 1-2 and 2-1 there,” Anderson said, referring to Oaklawn. “The winter in California's not quite the same as it used to be. Just looking for a change. So, Brad we've won for; Steve, we've won for. We've won a Breeders' Cup for both of them. It's three days a week and the purses are fantastic. It's a good place to go for a change. I have Johnny, too, and Johnny's in California, per Bob's request. Sometimes, it's just the flow of the way things feel. Johnny won the last two Kentucky Derbys for Bob. Bob would like him to come out there. Joel won the Breeders' Cups for Brad and Steve. They're kind of the kingpins at Oaklawn. The purses are big. Joel doesn't mind it there. He likes it.”

Rosario rode six days during the final weeks of Oaklawn's 2020 meeting and won 15 races, including the $150,000 Oaklawn Mile Stakes aboard Tom's d'Etat for trainer Al Stall, $100,000 Rainbow Stakes aboard Man in the Can for trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs, $165,000 Arkansas Breeders' Championship Stakes aboard Man in the Can and the second division of the $500,000 Arkansas Derby (G1) aboard Nadal for Baffert.

Coupled with a double in March, including the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) aboard Nadal, Rosario finished with a spectacular 17-10-7 record from just 45 mounts and amassed $2,030,576 in purse earnings. Rosario ranked second in stakes victories at the meet (five), fourth in purse earnings and 11th in victories – just one shy of cracking the top 10 – with an eye-popping 38 percent strike rate. Rosario added three more stakes victories at the 2021 Oaklawn meeting, including the $1 million Rebel (G2) for Baffert aboard Concert Tour.

Anderson said Rosario is booked to ride Concert Tour in the $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes for older horses Jan. 15 at Oaklawn, a one-mile race would mark the colt's first start for Cox. Rosario and Cox are scheduled to team up again Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park when Knicks Go makes his final career start in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1).

“World-class rider,” Cox said Saturday afternoon. “I mean, it's no secret about that. He's a very good all-around rider and very happy that he's going to be there during the meet. Looking forward for him teaming up with Knicks Go again in the Pegasus and go from there.”

Anderson said Rosario is scheduled to ride regularly at Oaklawn until at least early April. Rosario has 28 career Oaklawn victories, including 12 stakes, with his mounts earning $4,979,104. In addition to Nadal, Rosario won the $200,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) and $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) in 2014 aboard Close Hatches for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Close Hatches won an Eclipse Award as the country's champion older female that year.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Rosario rode his first winner in the United States in 2006. He has more than 3,000 career victories, including 15 in Breeders' Cup races and three in Triple Crown events, and his mounts have earned more than $250 million. Rosario won the $10 million Dubai World Cup (G1) in 2013 in the United Arab Emirates aboard Animal Kingdom.

In addition to purse earnings, Rosario led the country in stakes victories (69) and graded stakes victories (49) in 2021, according to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization. Rosario is seeking his first Eclipse Award.

“Look, like I tell people, he's a world-class rider,” Anderson said. “He could go anywhere in the world and be competitive. Lucky enough we come in there and we ride for Steve right away. Got some calls with Brad, got some calls with (Ron) Moquett and some other people. We'll get back with it here.”

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VIDEO: ‘Somebody Just Turned The Lights Off’: Two Jockeys Injured in Bizarre Grants Pass Finale

Jockeys Patrick Henry Jr. and Alex Anaya were taken to a hospital with unspecified injuries on Tuesday night after the lights at Grants Pass Downs turned off shortly after the start of the 11th and final race of the closing night program at the Grants Pass, Ore., track.

The race was declared a “no contest” by officials.

The six horses were just starting to make their way down the backstretch for the first time in the 6 1/2-furlong claiming race on the Josephine County Fairgrounds oval when the lights went out.

“The lights just went off,” track announcer Jason Beem said when the track went dark. “Somebody just turned the lights off. All the lights went off. I've got no clue what's going on and hopefully everybody is staying safe out there, because we can't see a thing. Unbelievable.”

Two horses, Lead Actress and Don't Rub It, could be seen without their riders passing under the wire in the light of the photo finish camera. Henry had been aboard Lead Actress with Anaya on Don't Rub It. Both were racing just behind the early leader along the inside when the lights went off.

According to Beem's Twitter feed, all horses were caught and not injured.

There was a lot at stake in the race for horseplayers, including a mandatory payout in the Pick 5 that included a $51,112 jackpot going in and took in over $300,000 in new money. The payoffs leading into the 11th race, the final leg of the sequence, were $3 in the seventh race, $38.60 in the eighth, $5.60 in the ninth, and $8.20 in the 10th. The Equibase chart did not show how the multi-race wagers were resolved, but track publicist Vince Bruun said the race was considered an “all” under Oregon racing rules, meaning every selection was credited with being a winner. The bet, which effectively became a pick 4, paid $357.75, according to Bruun.

How and why the lights went off isn't clear, but the speculation is they were set on a timer to go off at approximately 10:30 p.m. and were not adjusted after the switch from daylight savings to standard time on the morning of Nov. 7.

The nine-race program on Monday, Nov. 8, ended with the final event going at 9:21 p.m. Tuesday's finale was off at 10:28 p.m.

Randy Evers, general manager at Grants Pass Downs, could not be reached for comment or additional information.

The post VIDEO: ‘Somebody Just Turned The Lights Off’: Two Jockeys Injured in Bizarre Grants Pass Finale appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Paco Lopez X-Rayed For Possible Shoulder Injury After Meadowlands Spill

Leading jockey Paco Lopez, coming off his eighth riding title at Monmouth Park, was taken by ambulance to Hackensack Medical Center for X-rays on his left shoulder after his mount in the third race, Voter Protection, broke down entering the first turn of the 1 1/16-mile turf race, according to the first aid staff at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, N.J.

Voter Protection, the even-money favorite in the race, was at the back of the pack and clear of other horses at the time of the misstep that sent Lopez headlong into the turf. First Aid personnel said Lopez was “alert and oriented” but was complaining of left shoulder pain.

Lopez later told track personnel that his shoulder “popped out” but was not broken. He took off his final three mounts on the card.

According to the Equibase chart, Voter Protection was euthanized.

A 3-year-old More Than Ready gelding racing for Klaravich Stables Inc. and trained by Chad Brown, Voter Protection was making his seventh career start in the $25,000 maiden claiming race for 3-year-olds and up. He had raced for a claiming tag twice previously, most recently while finishing sixth in a six-furlong turf race for $50,000 maiden claimers at Belmont Park on Sept. 26.

Lopez is second leading jockey by wins in North America in 2021. His 281 wins are just nine behind Irad Ortiz Jr. Lopez is three wins shy of his most productive year in the saddle, and at nearly $10.6 million he is closing in on his best year from an earnings standpoint.

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