Etc...

Freddie Mata, the leading rider at Great Lakes Downs, was off his mounts following a training accident Tuesday in which he injured an ankle after the 2-year-old he had in the starting gate flipped, according to his agent, Frank Garoufalis. Mata, said Garoufalis, "will have to see an orthopedic doctor before he can come back." . . . Cathay Pacific Airlines will be the official sponsor of the Dec. 12 Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin - featuring the Hong Kong Cup, Mile, Vase, and Sprint, worth a total of $7.7 million - beginning this year, the Hong Kong Jockey Club has announced. Cathay Pacific will also sponsor Sha Tin's International Trial Meetings on Nov. 14 and 18, and the International Jockeys' Championship at Happy Valley on Dec. 8.