Alvarado sidelined with fractured shoulder blade
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Jockey Junior Alvarado suffered a slight fracture of the scapula bone (shoulder blade) in his right shoulder that will likely sideline him for three weeks, his agent, Mike Sellitto, told Daily Racing Form on Monday. Alvarado is the regular rider of Fountain of Youth winner Sovereignty, who is the 8-5 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.
Alvarado was injured after his mount, Term, suffered a fatal heart attack and fell during the running of Sunday’s 10th race at Gulfstream Park. According to Sellitto, Alvarado landed safely and was attempting to attend to his mount when bumped from behind by another horse in the field.
Alvarado returned to the jockeys’ room under his own power after the race but complained of pain in his shoulder overnight, with X-rays confirming the injury Monday afternoon, Sellitto said.
“The injury was very slight, they could barely find it at first on the X-ray, but barring a miracle Junior will likely miss about three weeks,” Sellitto added.
Alvarado, fifth in the Gulfstream standings with 41 victories during the Championship meet, has been aboard Sovereignty in each of his four career starts, guiding him to his maiden win in the Grade 3 Street Sense at Churchill Downs in his 2-year-old finale and a come-from-behind neck decision over River Thames to launch his 3-year-old campaign in the Fountain of Youth. A homebred son of Into Mischief, Sovereignty is trained by Bill Mott for Godolphin.
“Bill has a meeting scheduled with Godolphin at noon tomorrow [Tuesday] to discuss the riding options for the Florida Derby,” Sellitto said.
Most of the leading riders in the local jockey colony are either already committed to mounts in the Florida Derby or at Oaklawn Park for Saturday’s Arkansas Derby.
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