Monmouth Park: Serpa found to have concussion following spill

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Angel Serpa, fifth in the Monmouth Park jockey standings, was taken to Jersey Shore Medical Center following a fifth race spill on Friday afternoon. Serpa was found to have a concussion and was to be held overnight at the hospital.

“There’s no intracranial bleed,” said Dr. Angelo Chinnici, Monmouth Park's medical director, after conferring with doctors at Jersey Shore. “He does have a severe concussion, so they’ll likely keep him there for another 24 hours just for observation.”

Serpa was aboard Kisses Required, a 3-year-old filly in a maiden claiming race at 1 1/16 miles on the turf.

Kisses Required set the pace into the stretch when she suddenly lunged left under right-handed whipping and smashed through the temporary rail just above the point where the turf chute joins the course.

Serpa hit the ground hard and his helmet flew off. The paramedics strapped him to a board and carried him to an ambulance.

Kisses Required regained her feet after the tumble and was vanned off the course. She suffered lacerations on her shoulder and legs and was being evaluated back in the barn area.