Apprentice Romero Maragh gets thoracic fusion surgery after spill

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Apprentice rider Romero Maragh underwent thoracic fusion surgery Friday at Aventura Hospital following a frightening spill the previous day at Gulfstream Park.

Family members and friends said doctors are very confident that Maragh, 18, will emerge with full use of his arms and legs, but noted that such surgery is always precarious. Maragh’s agent, Walter Blum Jr., said he was informed that four thoracic vertebrae (T5 through T8) were to be fused during an intricate surgery scheduled to last as long as seven hours.

Maragh was injured when he was thrown hard near the quarter pole on the Gulfstream turf during the first race Thursday. His mount, Classic Act, clipped heels when racing alongside Dixie Princess, who was ridden by Paco Lopez. Another horse, Prospective Mount, could not avoid Maragh and unseated her rider, Carlos Montalvo.

Montalvo suffered a hairline fracture of an ankle. None of the horses was seriously injured.

Maragh is one of numerous members of a Florida-based family of horsemen that traces its roots to Jamaica. The most accomplished of the group is his cousin, Rajiv Maragh, currently riding in New York. Romero Maragh, who began his riding career last April, is the nephew of trainer Aubrey Maragh, who said early Friday afternoon at Gulfstream that doctors informed the family that a minor complication had arisen during the surgery, but they were optimistic the problem was surmountable.

Meanwhile, the Gulfstream stewards announced Friday that Lopez has been suspended 30 days for his role in the incident. The penalty is half of the maximum allowable (60 days) under state statute without further referral to the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering. Lopez, a 33-year-old native of Mexico, has won more than 2,400 races since he began riding in the United States in 2007.

◗ In an unrelated matter, the stewards also suspended the meet’s leading jockey, Luis Saez, for five days in a move stemming from the disqualification of Unoffensive from first to second in the 10th race Thursday. Into Friday, Saez was on pace to break the record for most winners (137) he set at the 2017-18 championship meet.

Both the Lopez and Saez suspensions will begin Wednesday, if not appealed.