Saez will be out three to five weeks

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The hope is jockey Luis Saez will miss only three to five weeks after suffering a dislocated right collarbone and fractured left wrist as the result of a spill in which he was involved during the running of Wednesday’s $135,000 John’s Call Stakes at Saratoga, according to his agent, Kiaran McLaughlin.

Saez will not need to undergo surgery, McLaughlin said.

Saez had been booked to ride Kentucky Derby winner Mage in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes, but will definitely miss that assignment. Flavien Prat has been named as Saez's replacement aboard Mage.

Saez was scheduled to ride Secret Oath in Friday’s Grade 1 Personal Ensign. Javier Castellano has picked up that mount.

In the John’s Call, Saez was aboard Burning Bright when that horse suffered a fatal cardiovascular episode entering the clubhouse turn, crashed through the temporary rail on the Mellon turf course, flipped over the bushes, and landed on the inner turf course.

Saez, 31, appeared to land on his right side and tumbled into the bushes. He lay just outside those bushes for several minutes while being attended to by Emergency Medical Services personnel, who carried him off the course on a stretcher.

Saez was taken by ambulance to Albany Medical Center, where he was diagnosed with the injuries.

McLaughlin said Saez was to return on Friday to Albany Medical Center, where he will have his collarbone put back in place.

Saez, who won three stakes at Parx on Tuesday, is the second leading rider in the country, trailing on Irad Ortiz Jr. in both wins (191) and purse money won ($17,124,969).

Through the first 30 days of the Saratoga meet, Saez had 30 wins, second only to Ortiz.

McLaughlin said when Saez returns he will be riding in Kentucky.

“Just a matter of whether it will be Churchill or Keeneland,” McLaughlin said.

Churchill has a 14-day meet that runs from Sept. 14-30. Keeneland’s fall meet opens Oct. 6.

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