Apprentice jockey
Ryan Curatolo, who fell from his mount during the post parade for Sunday’s first
race at Belmont Park, was examined and released from North Shore University
Hospital and expects to ride as scheduled when racing resumes on Wednesday.
Curatolo, 19, took off from the
rest of his mounts Sunday after being unseated by Brolio as they made their way
to the gate. Taken by ambulance to the hospital, he returned to the jockey’s
room at Belmont
Park shortly after 4 p.m.
following negative X-rays.
“I had an exam and everything is
OK inside,” said Curatolo. “In two days I think I’ll be OK. Tomorrow there is no racing, Tuesday no
racing, just today I lost a winner because in the second race [my mount
won]. But, it could be much worse.
You have 365 days to win races, so if you lose one day, there are many
more.”
A native of France, Curatolo picked up the first stakes win
of his career on Saturday afternoon at Belmont when he piloted Street Game to victory
in the Grade 3 Hill Prince. Curatolo has 26 winners from 176 mounts since the
Belmont
spring/summer meet opened on April 29, good for fifth place in the NYRA jockey
standings through the conclusion of racing Sunday.