Feb. 19, 2007 — A jockey from Puerto Rico died Sunday after an accident in the starting gates moments before a horse race, track officials said.
Manuel Caraballo, 65, sustained the fatal injury in the starting gates of the Randall "Doc" James racetrack moments before the start of the seventh race. Emergency workers rushed Caraballo to the Juan Luis Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries, said Dennis Brow, the track's head of operations.
Caraballo's horse, Emilin, apparently trampled him, according to Police.
In a day marked by unfortunate events, another jockey sustained minor injuries in a separate accident that led to the death of his horse. Another horse died of natural causes before the races.
Stateside-based rider Kevin Krigger took a spill when his horse, Come Home, broke one of his front legs and went down. Krigger, sustained a dislocated collar bone, track officials and family members said, but he later returned to the track, walking around with a bandaged upper body. The horse, Come Home, had to be euthanized on the spot.
Another jockey, Junior Inirio, also took a spill in the same race when his horse, Sunday Whine, apparently stumbled over Krigger’s horse. Inirio, who was not hurt, got up and rushed to the aid of Krigger, who had stumbled off the track in obvious pain to lie on the infield grass. Sunday Whine appeared to come out of the incident unscathed.
St. Croix also lost one of its greatest thoroughbred sprinters Sunday morning when El Chuso, scheduled to run on the day’s card, died of an apparent heart attack, according to visibly upset trainer David Coto.
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