Shoulder injury sidelines McCarthy for six months

Leading Mid-Atlantic rider Trevor McCarthy will be sidelined six months as the result of a spill at Monmouth Park on May 21, according to his agent, Scott Silver.

It was originally thought McCarthy would be out only five to eight weeks after he dislocated his left shoulder, but it has been determined he will need surgery to make a complete recovery. McCarthy is scheduled to be operated on June 12 at Bryn Mawr Hospital outside Philadelphia.

Christopher Dodson, a board-certified sports medicine surgeon who specializes in shoulder, elbow, and knee injuries, will perform the operation.

“The surgeon told us he’s seen a lot of these injuries and that he will be able to fix the shoulder correctly and that Trevor will be 100 percent,” Silver said. “This is a contact sport, and if we didn’t do the surgery and he fell again, it could turn into a bigger problem.”

Silver said McCarthy is a “little bummed out” because he’ll be sidelined for an extended period but that, “as much as Trevor rides, he needs to be perfect.”

Silver said McCarthy will wear a sling for a month after the operation.

“The doctor said he’ll feel great in two to three months and then need some rehab,” Silver said.

McCarthy was injured when his mount Skip the Talk jumped a fallen horse and he was thrown awkwardly to the ground in a Monmouth turf race. He was taken to Monmouth Medical Center, where doctors had to pop his shoulder back into place.

McCarthy, 23, recently won his 1,000th career race. He has won six Maryland riding titles, including the Laurel Park winter-spring meet, which ended May 7.

McCarthy has been riding since 2011. Silver has been his agent for all but one of his 1,006 victories.