Carrasco, Ferrer face long road back following injury

Victor Carrasco’s first win since returning from injury came in the Maryland Million Turf aboard Phlash Phelps. Photo by The Racing Biz.

by Doug McCoy

Jockeys Victor Carrasco and Jose Ferrer will both be sidelined indefinitely recuperating from injuries suffered in a five horse spill at Delaware Park on September 14.

Carrasco, Ferrer and three other riders were unseated during the running of the third race, a mile turf route, after Carrasco’s mount slipped and fell going into the second turn of that race.

Carrasco had surgery the day after the race to repair multiple fractures to the fibia and tibia of his right leg. Surgeons inserted a rod to stabilize the fractures and aid in the healing process and Carrasco is now at home recuperating. He expects to be sidelined from four to six months according to his agent, Tom Stift. Carrasco, who won the Eclipse award as the country’s top apprentice in 2013, had 11 wins at Delaware Park and 84 for the year despite having been sidelined multiple months earlier this season with a fractured scapula

Ferrer suffered eight broken ribs, two fractured vertebrae and a partially collapsed lung in the spill. Doctors at Christiana Care Medical Center performed surgery to clean debris out of his lung and two plugs were inserted where the lung was punctured. His agent, Steve Worsley, says Ferrer expected to be released by Monday and that his recuperation period will depend on how well the rib fractures mend.

Ferrer had just finished the Monmouth meeting as that track’s second leading rider by wins (56) and third by earnings (nearly $1.4 million) and had four wins at Delaware Park. He had 104 wins for the year and has more than 4100 career wins.

Following the spill the remaining turf races on the program were transferred to the main track and turf races scheduled for Saturday were also moved to the main track. Track maintenance moved the inner rail out to 35 feet, the maximum rail setting, over the weekend and turf racing returned on Monday, September 18. The day prior to the accident Delaware Park ran three races over the course listed in the official chart as “good” although there were intermittent rain showers throughout the afternoon that day.

Jomar Torres, Andrew Wolfsont, and Edwin Rivera also went down in the spill but escaped serious injury.