Brimo still in critical condition after Friday spill

Jockey Julia Brimo remained in critical condition at a Lexington hospital Monday morning after suffering injuries when her mount, Golden Stride, fell after clipping heels in the first race at Keeneland on Friday.

University of Kentucky Medical Center would not release further details on Brimo's injury, other than her being in critical condition, but Doc Danner, a jockey agent and friend who saw her in the intensive care unit Monday, said she has movement in her legs and was responsive to visitors by nodding and squeezing the hands of those that visited her.

Danner said she was attached to oxygen tubes that likely hindered her from speaking.

Brimo injured her head and back when she fell to Keeneland's main track, and Golden Stride appeared to roll over her.

Danner was not familiar with the extent of Brimo's head injury, other than noting she was badly bruised. As for her back, he said doctors were "going to do surgery on her tomorrow to take pressure off vertebrae 4 and 5."

An Ontario native, Brimo, 33, won a Sovereign Award as the top apprentice jockey in Canada in 2003, when she rode 75 winners. Since beginning her career in 2001, Brimo has won with 163 of 1,612 mounts.