Jockeys escape serious injury in two-horse spill at Los Alamitos

CYPRESS, Calif. – Jockeys Tiago Pereira and Santiago Gonzalez escaped serious injury in a two-horse spill Thursday at Los Alamitos.

The accident occurred on the turn in the day’s second race, an $8,000 claimer, when Templar took an odd step and unseated Pereira. I’ll Wrap It Up was racing behind Templar and collided with his rival, unseating Gonzalez. Both horses ran away and were reported to be uninjured, stewards said.

The incident will keep Pereira from riding the final days of the Los Alamitos meeting, which ends Sunday, but the 41-year-old veteran is scheduled to ride the opening day of the Del Mar summer meeting Wednesday, according to his agent Patty Sterling.

Pereira was kept overnight Thursday at an Orange County hospital to undergo tests for chest pains. Sterling said Pereira was “kneed in the chest pretty good” in the spill.

“They wanted to conduct a few more tests,” she said. “He should be fine for Wednesday.”

Gonzalez, 35, was scheduled to ride this weekend at Los Alamitos, according to his agent, Craig Stephen.