Santana, Hill escape injury in Sunday spill
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Ricardo Santana Jr. continues to ride in sensational form, but it all nearly came to a halt in a frightening moment Sunday at Keeneland.
Santana had just crossed under the wire an eight-length winner aboard Galilianco in the seventh race, a maiden race run at the Beard Course distance of seven furlongs and 184 feet. Without notice, Galilianco broke down, throwing Santana to the ground and briefly rolling over him. A trailing horse, Dulce Ride, was unable to avoid the spill, and she crashed into Galilianco, throwing jockey Channing Hill.
Fortunately, Santana and Hill escaped injury and were able to resume riding after being checked out by medical personnel. Galilianco, a 2-year-old filly owned by Abdullah Saeed Almaddah and trained by Wesley Ward, had to be euthanized because of her injuries. Dulce Ride was pronounced okay.
“Thank u God for putting Your Hand on me and [Hill],” Santana wrote on his Twitter account.
Santana rode seven winners during the five-day race week that ended Sunday and will enter Wednesday action in a three-way tie atop the jockey standings with Julien Leparoux and Florent Geroux. All have eight wins through the first eight of 17 fall cards.