Herrera escapes injury in spill
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Jockey Diego Herrera escaped injury when he was unseated in the stretch of Sunday’s sixth race at Los Alamitos.
Herrera said Monday morning that he plans to resume riding Friday.
Herrera was unseated when King Heat veered in sharply in the stretch at a point where the inside has a temporary rail guiding runners past the gap where the turn of the small five-eighths mile track used for nighttime racing meets the stretch.
King Heat, who was racing at the back of a field of maiden claimers, attempted to jump the temporary rail, causing Herrera to be unseated. King Heat sustained no injury and was “fine” on Monday morning, trainer Craig Lewis said in a text message.
Herrera fell heavily and was taken to a local hospital for precautionary X-rays. He said he was released Sunday evening.
“They said I had a little bit of bruising and to take it easy for a couple of days,” Herrera said. “Hopefully, if everything comes out well, I should be back on horses on Wednesday morning and back [racing] on Friday.”
Friday is the next day of live racing at the Los Alamitos September meeting.
Through Sunday, Herrera, 19, had two wins at the meeting, which began last Friday. Ramon Vazquez led all riders with four wins, all of which he achieved on Sunday.
Herrera has won 44 Thoroughbred races this year through Sunday after achieving a career-best 63 wins in 2022. He began riding in 2021.
Herrera also occasionally rides the nighttime meeting of Quarter Horses and lower-level Thoroughbreds at Los Alamitos. Overall, he has won 213 races.
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