Jockey Wilmer Garcia sidelined with fractured vertabrae

Wilmer Garcia, who has been in the thick of the battle for leading rider at Prairie Meadows, will miss the remainder of the meet after fracturing two vertebrae in a race Sunday.

Garcia was injured when his horse clipped heels with another right out of the starting gate during the eighth race and he hit the ground hard, according to his agent, Becky Esch.

Esch said Garcia fractured his C-4 and C-5 vertebra. Garcia is in a Des Moines, Iowa, hospital, where he is scheduled to have two surgeries Wednesday.

“The surgeon said he’s done this plenty of times before – did it for another jockey,” Esch said. “They expect 100 percent recovery, but the recovery is just going to take a while.”

Garcia came to Prairie Meadows from Tampa Bay Downs. He won the $75,000 Hawkeyes Handicap with Angel’s Melody on Friday night and overall has won 47 races from 171 mounts to rank second in the current standings – one win behind Kylee Jordan. Garcia’s mounts have earned $1.1 million this meet at Prairie Meadows.

“He was in the lead, is one behind at the moment,” Esch said. “He’s been riding very well, fighting for the lead, then this happened.”

Esch said the prognosis for Garcia has been uplifting for family and friends.

“They say Wilmer should recover 100 percent,” she said. “We’re hopeful for a speedy recovery.”