DRF article says he was moving his extremities.
Was put in neck brace/backboard and taken off in an ambulance to hospital. Sounds like he was treated a lot better than that poor exercise rider described in:
https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forum/discussion-forums/racing/10180717-a-bizarre-and-inexcusable-incident
Bobby Abu Dhabi was such a pretty boy. 
I’m so sorry for his people.
I hope Victor isn’t hurt too badly.
Oh! It’s always upsetting to read about injuries. I hope he recovers well.
BloodHorse reports C3 fracture.https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/228650/espinoza-injured-after-bobby-abu-dhabis-fatal-incident
Sounds like from the BH article that Victor should recover but unknown how long the recovery will be.
Sorry for the connections of Bobby Abu Dhabi. I am sad this happened at all but grateful it didn’t happen next week during the running of the Bing Crosby Stakes on July 28. That could have potentially had a much larger impact.
I agree, while during a morning work, Victor was treated the way I would expect. Perhaps (who knows) he was, at one point asked if he was licensed (although working a horse a Del Mar that might have been just a correct assumption) but jock and horse were attended to promptly and what would appear to be correctly for a possible spinal injury.
I’m doubting anyone asked him if he was licensed as he was riding in races daily at Del Mar and named in several upcoming races.
I was about to say the same thing - if this had happened at Belterra Park, Victor would probably be dead after being made to walk to the ambulance.
I think our point is that everyone should receive proper emergency care–whether an unknown exercise rider or a Hall of Fame jockey. And every track, not just the top ones, should have proper protocols in place. There is a video (very tough to watch) that shows the fallen horse and rider, and you can hear the emergency warning sounding and the announcement calling for all work to cease.
Asking whether or not a rider is licensed has absolutely no bearing on anything, most importantly, medical treatment.
Tough and yet not as both horse and rider are very clearly not moving
But yes, could hear the buzzer and announcements to all on the track to cease work. This IMO should be what should have happened at Belterra. Stop all on track activity until the situation, whatever it is, is resolved… fallen horse or rider, loose horse, etc. Safety should be of paramount concern over anything else.
Yes safety should absolutely be paramount and there is no excuse for the Belterra Park incident. What I do understand is the liability factor for the track. Ultimately owners/trainers and track would “do everything” to make the sport safe for everyone at the track in any capacity, at all times, etc. But someone has pay for it. And everyone has to play by the rules…which is expensive for rule followers and for rule enforcers. And does not happen in real life. Every groom/walker/exercise rider should probably be licensed/documented by each track with appropriate fees paid to cover on-site EMT service provided by track facility. You can see how this absolutely does not happen in real life, at any track, but especially at low end ones.
Good luck enforcing that and passing on the expense to the lower level staff. Or the low end trainers. Even if they had any desire to play be the rules, which they do not, they often would not be able to afford to license/pay track fees everyone who actually works for them or carry their own liability insurance. Justice is slow and expensive and without any guarantees, no matter who is at fault. You can sue Joe Blow trainer for a billion trillion dollars, even get a successful judgment, but it doesn’t mean a penny will ever be paid to victim or any of the other places who have been screwed over in the whole event. Which means EMT and other first responder services, definitely the hospital(s) providing medical treatment, etc etc. So usually track is sued because they are “the man” and presumably have dollars for everyone doing whatever at their facility, no matter what happens. They can likewise sue Joe Blow trainer but that is not even worth the legal expense, because he is already so broke it’s a joke. And the expense of providing such on-site ER service at all times to everyone, or even implying it, is a huge expense to the track. The insurance premiums would sky rocket, just as a hard cost, and the liability has no limit and could absolutely bankrupt it in a nano second. And they are at risk every second, of every day,
Ultimately, the track has to be be responsible. It was absolutely mishandled at Belterra. I am just pointing out how complicated…and expensive…it is for everyone. Someone has to pay. It is pretty easy for everyone to shirk the expense when works are undocumented and have no practical legal recourse. This wouldn’t even be in the news if it was an injured illegal immigrant. Think about that for a minute. I bet a lot of people in this country, and also on this forum, wouldn’t mind leaving an “illegal alien” on the track for dead. Much less having to jump through some hoops on a broken leg. You gotta check the papers first, right? Something for everyone to think about. Not just Belterra Park.
I don’t believe you when you say that the people on this forum whom are involved in breeding and/or racing Thoroughbred horses,would not mind leaving an “illegal immigrant on the track for dead”.
I have yet to see any of our tried and true COTH members have the attitude that a dead Jockey (no matter their “papers” or lack thereof,) is part of the game.:no:
I’ve not seen one race horse owner/breeder here, on the Racing forum, that sinks to that level. Most all are very well educated and have educated us in turn.
Any subhuman who would leave an “illegal” for dead on the track wouldn’t be able to tolerate life on the backside in the first place. Racetracks are diverse microcosms where you are working in proximity with all kinds of kinds. Anyone with that much hate in their heart wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Trainers don’t hire undocumented workers because they are “disposable,” they hire them because they are some of the few folks willing to work as hard as the backside demands. Been there, done that, and I sure as heck don’t want to work that hard at this point in my life…
Now, I have encountered the odd trainer who would rather leave you for dead than have their workman’s comp rate go up. But I feel like strides have been made in that area thanks to the push for widespread health coverage.
Well said.
Many of us on COTH have done the rough/dirty jobs as you put it and would never consider treating anyone else in that manner.
How horrible for him. I’m praying hard for his recovery. Meanwhile, yes, maybe some issues need work, but first let’s focus on this man’s recovery.
I’m thinking about that pretty hard. And once I get over my initial sense of outrage, the only conclusion I can come to is that you must frequent very different backsides than I do. Thank God. Because I’d hate to hang with the racetrackers you know.
The track doesn’t have any liability except to provide the EMTs as required. If the EMTs don’t do their job the company they work for get sued not the track.
Thanks Laurie.
When you are working and get hurt at work the only recourse you have is to file a workers compensation claim with your employer’s workers comp carrier. As long as the trainer (or any employer) has workers comp, he or she cannot be sued by an injured employee.
The track has no liability if a horse falls and the rider gets injured. If the medical personnel don’t respond as required, then the company that employs them may have liability IF the injured person is further injured by the response or lack thereof of the medical team.
I’m actually not too sure what tracks are “required” to do or provide wrt safety. I do know that Delaware Park banned chickens a few years ago after a chicken spooked a horse and the rider was badly injured.
You are absolutely sure that the owner of a facility cannot be sued? Upon what do you base this?
