Jockey Rafael Bejarano, currently Santa Anita Park’s leading rider with 60 wins, was injured in a spill during the 8th race at Santa Anita’s March 13 horse racing program. Rafael Bejarano is expected to miss two to four weeks after fracturing two vertebra.

Bejarano, who was aboard a 3-year-old maiden gelding Parisian Art, was unseated when his mount sustained an apparent fatal heart attack inside the 8th pole. At the time of the spill Bejarano had eased his mount to the back of the 12-horse field when Parisian Art dropped suddenly to the ground. Jockey Rafael Bejarano was thrown head-first to the surface and was taken for examination by ambulance to nearby Arcadia Methodist Hospital.

“The fifth and sixth vertebra touched from the impact, and the fifth and sixth vertebra have cracks in them,” Joe Ferrer, Bejarano’s agent, told Santa Anita’s publicity department. “They didn’t crack through, just in the front of them. It could have been worse. If it was cracked all the way through, it would have been harder to stabilize. It just cracked in front, not through.”

Parisian Art was making his second career start for trainer Doug O’Neill. A California-bred, Parisian Art debuted on February 9 for maiden $32,000 claiming, which was the level he competed at on March 13.

Rafael Bejarano was scheduled to ride Grade 1 winner Georgie Boy in the $250,000 San Felipe Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita on Saturday, March 15. Jockey Michael Baze will replace him while Martin Pendroza will be riding Go For Cover, the horse Michael Baze was supposed to ride for the San Felipe Stakes.

Bejarano also is the regular rider for champion Ginger Punch and multiple Grade 1 winner Country Star.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 14th, 2008 at 9:27 pm and is filed under Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Jockeys, Race Tracks News, Santa Anita Track, Stakes Races, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.