Azeff injured at Gulfstream

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Yvonne Azeff, an assistant for trainer John Ward Jr., was listed in serious condition at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Fla., suffering from head injuries from an accident during training hours at Gulfstream Park on Saturday morning.

The incident occurred at 9 a.m. on the horse path outside Barn 28. Azeff, 41, was aboard the stable pony, who became agitated after the horse he was accompanying back to the barn from the racetrack became skittish and pulled away from the lead line. Azeff's pony first banged into the wall of the barn then darted into a chain link fence on the opposite side of the road, lost his balance, and fell, pinning Azeff beneath him.

Azeff was unconscious when track medical personnel arrived on the scene. She was rushed by ambulance to Memorial Regional by paramedics from Hallandale Beach Fire and Rescue, and had not yet regained consciousness as of 5:45 p.m. on Saturday.

Azeff was born in Philadelphia, Penn., and is a former jockey who has served as an exercise rider and assistant for several trainers since retiring from riding. She was an integral part of the Ward team that helped prepare Monarchos for his 2001 Kentucky Derby win.