Jockey Yomar Ortiz escapes serious injury in fall
Frank Vespe- October 31, 2022
Jockey Yomar Ortiz, thrown from his mount in mid-stretch during Sunday’s final race at Laurel Park, escaped serious injury, his agent, J. D. Brown, said Monday morning.
Ortiz was aboard Rip It for trainer Donovan Haughton in the ninth race, a $20,000 maiden claimer sprinting 5 ½ furlongs on the turf. Rip It was making a bid between rivals in the lane when a tiring Moses Water drifted out, bothering Sloe Gin Biz and forcing him out in front of Rip It. Rip It clipped heels with Sloe Gin Biz, stumbling and unseating Ortiz.
Riderless, Rip It completed the course without further incident.
Ortiz remained down on the turf course in distress for several minutes. He was ultimately carried off on a back board and taken to the hospital.
“I talked to him this morning,” Brown said. “He’s a little bit sore, but that’s to be expected.”
Brown, who also is the agent for Xavier Perez and apprentice Walter Rodriguez, said that Ortiz came out of the injury with “some scrapes and bruises” but nothing more serious than that.
“They gave him an MRI, a CAT scan, the whole nine yards, and everything came back negative,” Brown added. “He’ll be fine. He’ll probably be back this weekend.”
Ortiz, who had won aboard Battlebus for trainer Linda Albert earlier on the card, has 16 wins from 195 mounts this year with purse earnings of $702,117.
In a career that began in 2012, he has won 420 races from 3,909 starts. His mounts have earned more than $10.7 million and won five stakes.
LATEST NEWS
