Jockey Eibar Coa, who continues to recover from a spinal injury suffered last month, received a visit March 3 from a special friend.
Coa, the regular rider of Kentucky Derby (gr. I) contender Mucho Macho Man before breaking a vertebra in a spill at Gulfstream Feb. 18, was visited by the colt’s majority owner Dean Reeves. During an emotional visit, Reeves presented Coa with a check for $18,000.
The sum signified the amount of money Coa would have received had he been aboard Mucho Macho Man for his victory in the Risen Star (gr. II) Feb. 19 at Fair Grounds.
Reeves made the presentation to Coa at Memorial Regional Hospital while accompanied by Gulfstream’s vice president of racing, Tim Ritvo.
“It was pretty emotional,” said Reeves. “It was all I could do to tell him what we were doing. Eibar had tears in his eyes; Tim and I were watery eyed.
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