Jockey Batista due for more tests

Jockey Alexis Batista was thrown from a mount who broke down during a Nov. 2 race at Delta Downs and was initially diagnosed with a hairline fracture of his C-7 vertebrae, but he is scheduled to have more tests, his agent, Antonio Floyd, said Tuesday.

Batista had a second round of X-rays with a specialist earlier this week which proved inconclusive, perhaps due to swelling, and he is being scheduled for an MRI, Floyd said.

“He’s doing a little better,” Floyd said. “They’ve got him in the neck brace.”

Floyd said there is no timeline yet for Batista’s return. Earlier this year, Batista and fellow jockey Gerard Melancon put together a campaign to donate needed items to Hurricane Harvey victims living in a shelter in Louisiana.