Suffolk Downs: Injured jockey Andria Terrill released from hospital

EAST BOSTON, Mass. – Andria Terrill was being released from Massachusetts Hospital on Tuesday afternoon and was headed to her seasonal home near Suffolk Downs to continue her recovery from three skull fractures suffered in a spill at the track July 8.

“Just waiting to get out and for the patient print outs,” texted the jockey.

“She’s in good spirits and is looking forward to going home and then getting back to work,” said her agent, Eddie Smith.

Terrill’s prognosis for recovery remains positive as her doctors expect the small fractures should heal on their own in about six weeks. Nonetheless, on Monday Smith said that Terrill is experiencing what he termed “little complications.” She is having difficulty hearing from her right ear and has lost her sense of taste, he said, adding that doctors said the cause may be due to swelling in the injured area that is affecting the nerves. They expected the issues to resolve when the swelling subsides, Smith said.

There was still no word on when she may return to the saddle.

Terrill was unseated by Chapel’s Beauty after the break of the fourth race and was unconscious on the racetrack. After Terrill regained consciousness she was transported by ambulance to the hospital for evaluation, which included several CAT scans and multiple MRI’s over the ensuing days.

Terrill ranks second in the Suffolk jockey standings with 18 wins from 78 mounts, and through July 8 had 107 career wins, 102 seconds and 102 thirds from 758 starts with her mounts earning $1,289,000.

Chapel’s Beauty, a 3-year-old filly owned and bred by Patricia Generazio and trained by Brenda McCarthy, was unharmed. The one-mile race for $5,000 maiden-claiming fillies and mares was declared a non-contest with the purse divided among the entrants and wagers refunded.