Bad Day At The Track

Three jockeys were injured and three horses euthanized on the track Monday following a chain-reaction accident during the fourth race at Del Mar.

Jose Silva and Anthony Lovato were the most seriously injured, both fracturing a vertebra in their lower backs.

Lovato was taken to Scripps Hospital in Encinitas after complaining of lower back pain, and track spokesman Dan Smith said the X-rays revealed a fracture of the No. 1 lower lumbar vertebra. He said Lovato would be transferred to Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, where Silva was being cared for after fracturing the same vertebra.

"There was no nerve damage and appears to be no paralysis," track spokesman Mac McBride said of Silva's condition. Smith added later that Lovato's condition was the same.

Tyler Baze broke his left foot and left big toe and was taken to the Del Mar Clinic. He returned to the track right after the seventh race wearing a protective boot.

Baze, according to McBride, said he hoped to return to riding in the next couple of weeks.

"It was scary," McBride said. "It was one of these chain reaction things, you have an incident, then another one, then another one. These things are happening in rapid-fire order.

"It's very unsettling. It's extremely unfortunate we lost three race horses. It could have been much, much worse. We have no loss of human life. We believe at this point the injuries to the five jockeys were minimal."

The accident occurred on the far turn in the six-furlong claiming race for 3-year-olds and up.

Mr. Powerful, ridden by Lovato, stumbled and fell when he apparently broke his left front leg while moving into third place. Jentzen could not avoid the fallen horse and also fell, unseating Silva.

Two other trailing horses - Kiss an Angel with Baze aboard and The Station with David Flores riding - were steered clear of the fallen horse, but in the process stumbled and lost their riders.

The final trailing horse, Pacific Pride with 16-year-old apprentice jockey Mick Ruis up, also attempted to avoid the fallen horses but couldn't do so and fell.

Ruis, who is from nearby Poway, returned to ride Doin' It Easy to victory in the eighth and final race of the day. It was his first win at Del Mar.

Mr. Powerful, Jentzen and Pacific Price were put down on the track. Kiss an Angel and The Station apparently avoided serious injury.

Lovato, Flores, Baze and Ruis were able to walk into the track's first aid station on their own before Lovato and Baze were hospitalized.

The race was won by Spectacular Chance. The accident delayed the racing program for about 10 minutes.

Later Monday, Excess Summer, with Julie Krone substituting for Baze, won the $100,000 Real Good Deal Stakes for 3-year-old California-breds by nine lengths over Exceeding.

Excess Summer, a 3-year-old son of In Excess, covered seven furlongs in 1:21.93 and paid $8.80, $5.20 and $4.20. The win was the third in six lifetime starts for Excess Summer and was worth $60,000.

Exceeding, another son of In Excess, returned $12.60 and $6.60. Third-place finisher Houston's Prayer paid $9.20 to show.

Unfurl the Flag, the 5-2 favorite in a field of eight, finished fifth.