Carrasco, Ferrer seriously injured in five-horse spill

Jockeys Victor Carrasco and Jose Ferrer were seriously injured in an ugly-looking spill in the third race at Delaware Park on Thursday and face lengthy recoveries. Five of the seven runners in the field either fell or lost their riders nearing the far turn of the one-mile turf race for restricted $25,000 claiming fillies and mares.

Carrasco and Ferrer were transported to the Christiana Medical Center near Delaware Park.

Carrasco broke the fibula and tibia in his lower right leg in two places, according to his agent, Tom Stift. He was scheduled for surgery Friday afternoon.

Carrasco, 25, won the Eclipse Award as North America’s leading apprentice in 2013. He was the leading rider at the Laurel Park summer meet after returning in early May from a shoulder injury.

Ferrer broke at least eight ribs, fractured two vertebrae, and has a collapsed lung, according to agent Steve Worsley. An emergency room trauma team was able to stabilize Ferrer Thursday night, according to Worsley.

Ferrer, 53, was in the midst of a fine season. He has 104 wins on the year and finished second in the standings at Monmouth Park, which concluded its meet Sunday. He has 4,152 career wins.

Really, with Carrasco aboard, was setting the pace on a short lead, with Madame Curie and 6-5 favorite Showreel to her outside, when she stumbled and fell. Golden Earrings, with Ferrer up, fell over Really, throwing Ferrer out in the course.

Pamzine appeared to stumble over Ferrer, unseating Andrew Wolfsont. Babie Monster then stumbled near Ferrer, throwing rider Jomar Torres.

Edwin Rivera, the rider of My Tootsy, also was unseated.

Rivera, Torres, and Wolfsont were not badly injured.

The five horses involved in the spill all got to their feet and did not appear badly injured, according to onsite reports. Pamzine, My Tootsy, and Babie Monster could be seen on the simulcast signal completing the course riderless.

Madame Curie and Showreel were the only runners to finish the race. Madame Curie won by 8 1/2 lengths and paid $33.60 as the second-longest price in the field. The trifecta paid out to all horses for third, and the superfecta paid out to all horses in the third and fourth slots.

The turf course was wet at the time of the accident. In a difference of opinion, Delaware Park had the course listed as soft. The Equibase chart crew called it firm. The early fractions of the race were 23.40 and 46.61 seconds. The other two turf races on the card were moved to the main track.