Del Mar assistant starter hospitalized after collapsing

DEL MAR, Calif. -- Assistant starter Hector Ramirez was hospitalized on Sunday after a scary incident at Del Mar in which Ramirez collapsed right after race 6 and was revived by paramedics and EMTs, a fellow assistant starter, and two members of the track's grounds crew.

Ramirez collapsed in the chute on the turf course and was immediately tended to by another assistant starter, Gilberto Cardenas, according to head starter Jay Slender. Two members of the grounds crew, Arturo Moreno and Ignacio Banuelos, also immediately jumped in, according to Luis Jauregui, the safety steward of the California Horse Racing Board. All three men worked on Ramirez until two paramedics -- Blaine Nelson and Ken Glimme -- and two EMTs -- Luke Biggs and Cole Michael -- arrived, according to Kim Jacobson, the risk manager at Del Mar, who employs the paramedics and EMTs.

"He was dead," Slender said. "They saved his life."

Jacobson said that medical coordinator Mike Mejia assisted, too.

Ramirez was taken to Scripps La Jolla Hospital, according to Joe Harper, Del Mar's chief executive officer.