Jockey Eddie Castro suffered a hairline fracture of his L1 vertebra in
a spill in Saturday’s fourth race at Belmont Park.
There was no resulting compression on his nerves, his spinal column remains
aligned, and he is listed in stable condition, according to the NYRA jockey
advocate.
It is unlikely that he will need surgery and he should be able to
recover with a back brace. He is expected to be released from North Shore
University Hospital
on Tuesday.
In the race, a 7 ½-furlong dirt allowance, Castro was aboard Royal
Brush (No. 5), who broke down in the middle of the stretch.
Heading into the Saturday card, Castro, 26, was tied for 10th
in the Belmont Park fall meet jockey standings with
nine wins. The native of Panama
is the regular rider for TVG Coaching Club American Oaks winner It’s
Tricky, expected to be one of the favorites in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies
Classic on November 4 at Churchill Downs.
Royal Brush, a 3-year-old son of Royal Academy
trained by Matthew Peebles, suffered a fractured left front cannon bone and was
euthanized.