Bridgmohan, Gilligan recuperating after Friday spill

Shaun Bridgmohan suffered nothing more than a pulled groin while Jack Gilligan broke his collarbone and fractured at least one facial bone in an ugly spill in the ninth race Friday at Fair Grounds.

The incident took place past the half-mile pole as the field of claiming route horses leaned into the far turn, where Confederate Yell and jockey Adam Beschizza came slightly off their line while racing midpack in tight quarters. Miss You Jo, just outside and behind Confederate Yell, clipped heels and fell, rolling over Gilligan after unseating the jockey. Ohmymy OhmYyes, a trailing horse, hurdled the fallen horse and Mitchell Murrill retained his seat, but Jacobs Flyer crashed into Miss You Jo, sending Bridghmohan flying to the dirt.

Ohmymy Ohmyyes walked off the course while Miss You Jo and Jacobs Flyer were vanned off. Bridgmohan and Gilligan were transported to a nearby hospital, neither suffering injuries as severe as might have been the case given the violent nature of the spill.

Gilligan will surely be forced to miss several weeks and his agent, Richie Price, also represents Marcelino Pedroza, who broke his collarbone in a spill earlier this month.

Anthony Martin, Bridgmohan’s agent, reported that Bridgmohan got a clean set of X-rays and CT scan Friday night, and that after taking the weekend off to nurse his injured groin, Bridgmohan hoped to resume riding Thursday.

Confederate Yell and Beschizza were disqualified from second to last. Fair Grounds stewards said a hearing into the incident that could result in a riding suspension was to be held Thursday.