Jockey Antongeorgi briefly hospitalized after Saturday spill

ARCADIA, Calif. - Jockey William Antongeorgi was briefly hospitalized on Saturday evening after being unseated shortly after the start of the day’s ninth race at Santa Anita.

Antongeorgi was aboard 26-1 Perfect Smile in a six-furlong maiden race when the first-time starter ducked toward a gap where the first turn joins the backstretch. Perfect Smile started from the inside post in a field of eight.

After receiving attention by medical personnel at Santa Anita, Antongeorgi was taken to USC-Arcadia hospital, adjacent to the track, for tests before being released late Saturday evening.

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“They did a scan of my head and chest to make sure everything checked out,” Antongeorgi said on Sunday morning.

Antongeorgi skipped workouts on Sunday morning “to rest a little bit,” he said.

On Sunday afternoon, Antongeorgi had one mount, finishing third in the second race on Smoken Hot Girl in a $12,500 claimer for maiden fillies and mares.

Through Sunday, Antongeorgi, 38, had 11 wins this year. He was based in Northern California in recent years until the circuit was dissolved with the closure of Golden Gate Fields last June and the financial failure of a replacement meeting at Pleasanton last fall.

Without year-round racing at Pleasanton, or at fair venues this summer and fall, Thoroughbred racing in the state has been consolidated to Southern California tracks.

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