It’s been a brutal 2 ½ months for jockeys. Punctured lungs. Lacerated kidneys. Broken legs, ribs, and ankles from spills during races.
In a sport that has seen its share of horse racing accidents, the past 2 ½ months seem to stand out. The number of jockey injuries may not be higher, but they’re drawing more attention because they’ve happened to some of the best riders in the world at some of the sport’s most visible venues.
Irad Ortiz, Jr., North America’s leading rider in races won and a five-time Eclipse Award winner, had a scary fall in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on Sept. 1 at Saratoga. After some bumping at the start, Ortiz was unseated by his mount, Mindframe, bounced briefly onto another horse, White Abarrio, and hit the ground hard. Incredibly, Ortiz came away with a sore wrist and sore ribs and was back riding a few days later.
More recently, it was rising star Dylan Davis who was involved in a spill. On Nov. 14 at Aqueduct, Heavyweight Champs, ridden by Ricardo Santana, Jr., broke down around the final turn. Davis' mount, Tarpaulin, could not avoid the fallen horse and unseated Davis, who suffered fractured ribs, a broken collarbone, a lacerated kidney, and a partially collapsed lung.
Santana returned to ride the following day; Davis is out indefinitely. Tarpaulin sustained only minor scrapes; Heavyweight Champs was euthanized.
According to The Jockey Club of North America, while specific statistics on jockey injuries may not be as readily available as those for horses, data from its Equine Injury Database and ongoing safety initiatives reflect a commitment to improving safety for all participants in horse racing.
The most common injuries among jockeys include fractures (especially to the collarbone, wrist, and leg), concussions, and soft tissue injuries. Falls from horses are a primary cause of these injuries.
Other jockeys involved in spills since September include 2024 Kentucky Derby winner Brian Hernandez, Jr., top European rider Ryan Moore (late August), Keith Asmussen, Romero Maragh, Sahin Civaci, Leonel Reyes, and Blake Shinn, a top rider in Australia.
Ryan Moore: Among the top riders in the world, Moore’s broken leg was diagnosed on Aug. 31, two months after he sustained the injury, but he kept riding. He’s been sidelined since and expected to return on Dec. 10 to ride in Hong Kong.
Brian Hernandez, Jr.: The 2024 Kentucky Derby winner aboard Mystik Dan and Kentucky Oaks winner aboard Thorpedo Anna was injured on Sept. 21 at Churchill Downs, suffering seven broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a lacerated liver. Sgt. Garcia, the horse he was riding, injured one of his front legs and had to be euthanized. Hernandez returned to riding on Nov. 12.
Romero Maragh: a Jamaican rider, fractured his elbow and thumb in a chain reaction incident at Finger Lakes on Oct. 21. The chain reaction of bumping caused Maragh’s horse, Book of Wisdom, to clip heels.
Leonel Reyes: Veteran Venezuelan rider broke his ankle in a three-horse spill at Gulfstream Park on Nov. 3. He underwent surgery.
Blake Shinn: a Well-known Australian horse racing jockey, suffered a broken leg (tibia and fibula) in a fall on Melbourne Cup Day, Nov. 4, at Flemington. He had surgery and will be out for a significant period, according to reports.
Joel Rosario: Hall of Famer sprained an ankle in a turf race spill at Aqueduct on Nov. 7; he plans to return to riding Nov. 20.
Keith Asmussen: Son of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen suffered a non-displaced fracture of the pelvis after being unseated when his horse clipped heels at Churchill Downs on Nov. 8. He’s out indefinitely, according to reports.
Sahin Civaci: Canada’s top rider sustained hairline fractures to his T4 and T5 vertebrae in a fall at Aqueduct on Nov. 13. He’s expected to be sidelined for a month, according to his agent.
Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.
