Jockey Samuel suspended seven days following spill that injured McCarthy

The New York stewards have suspended jockey Jalon Samuel for seven racing days for his ride aboard Rhombique in last Friday’s sixth race at Aqueduct, a race in which jockey Trevor McCarthy was unseated and suffered a broken collarbone and a pelvic injury that will sideline him indefinitely.

The exact days that Samuel will serve the penalty have not yet been solidified as the stewards were waiting to hear back from Samuel as to whether he planned to appeal. Samuel on Sunday told Daily Racing Form he doesn’t plan to appeal.

Approaching the top of the stretch in the 1 3/8-mile turf race, Samuel guided Rhombique off the inside and forced Runup the Score, ridden by Jose Lezcano, out into Unruly Julie, under Jose Ortiz, who was carried out into the path of Ever Summer, under McCarthy. Ever Summer clipped heels with Unruly Julie and fell, unseating McCarthy. Ever Summer did get up and was uninjured, according to her trainer Christophe Clement.

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McCarthy was carried off the course on a stretcher and was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he spent one night before being released on Saturday. McCarthy, who will miss at least the remainder of the year, was scheduled on Monday to see a specialist to learn more about the extent of the pelvic injury.

The stewards disqualified Rhombique from second and placed her ninth.

“I tipped out, Lezcano’s horse was finished, he was leg weary and tired, and Jose Ortiz’s horse just darted a little bit from Lezcano’s horse and Trevor was right on the heels of Jose’s horse and that’s what caused the incident,” Samuel said.

Only turf races will be stakes

The turf season on this circuit will conclude next Sunday. The racing office sent out a text to horsemen alerting them that maiden and allowance races listed for turf in the condition book will be carded for dirt instead.

Officials hope to run the last six stakes scheduled for turf - two each next Friday, Saturday and Sunday - topped by the Grade 3 Long Island on Friday and the Grade 2 Red Smith on Saturday.

Having used the course heavily during the Belmont at the Big A meeting - 107 turf races were run - officials had announced prior to the start of the Aqueduct fall meet that it would be limiting turf racing for this meet. Through 11 days, there were 36 races run on turf, only three taken off. Fourteen of the 30 races run Friday through Sunday were on turf.

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