Jockeys Juan Gutierrez and Anne Sanguinetti, involved in a spill in Sunday’s 10th and final race, are now resting comfortably after sustaining separate injuries resulting from the mishap.
According to jockey agent Keith Drebin, Gutierrez, the meet’s leading rider with 96 wins, suffered a concussion and is out of action this weekend. Gutierrez is scheduled to see his doctor on Monday and could be OK’d to ride pending the conclusion of the visit.
“Everything on the CAT scan came back clean,” Drebin said. “With concussions you never know, but he seems to be doing OK.”
Sanguinetti, sixth in the standings with 43 wins, sustained a compression fracture (trauma to the vertebra) and is out 6-to-8 weeks, according to her agent Bill Moss.
“I just visited Anne, and she’s in very good spirits, and is looking forward to riding at Emerald Downs again next year,” Moss said.
Sanguinetti, the regular rider on Emerald Distaff winner E Z Kitty, plans to get race fit this fall at Golden Gate before hooking up with trainer Jeff Metz this winter at Turf Paradise.
Gutierrez, 44, enters the final six days of the meet with a two-win lead over Isaias Enriquez, and still has a chance to win a second straight riding title, but Drebin said the important thing is the rider’s long-term health.
“Whenever a rider goes down, you kind of have to put things in perspective,” Drebin said. “Yeah (winning the title is important) but first we have to take care of Juan.”
Sanguinetti enjoyed a splendid first full season at Emerald Downs, winning three stakes on 5-year-old mare E Z Kitty and leading all jockeys with 31.5 percent winners in route races.
The mishap occurred into the stretch of the six-furlong race for maiden fillies and mares. Slamin’ Kitty, ridden by Sanguinetti, was contending for the lead from the outside when she broke her right foreleg and fell. Then Charismatic Hope, with Gutierrez aboard, clipped the fallen runner and tumbled to the ground.
Emerald ED on tap Saturday
The final Emerald ED of the 2013 season is set for 12 p.m. Saturday in the Tele-Theatre located on the 3rd Floor. This week’s topic is wagering, looking at the myriad ways fans can enjoy and wager on
Thoroughbreds races at Emerald Downs and across the nation a special emphasis will be placed on the Pick 4 and Pick.
The one-hour class is free, including official program and admission to the day’s races, with sign-up available at emeralddowns.com.
Notes
Weekly honors 22: Trainer – Rigoberto Velasquez (6-3-2-0); Jockey – Eliska Kubinova (5-3-1-0); Owner-Patches Pal Stable; Groom – Ruben Garcia-Martinez (Terry Gillihan); Washington-bred: Tichit (Cinbar Stables). … Patches Pal earned the meet’s highest Beyer by a 2-year-old, 71, for Sundays’ head victory over Morning Line Whiz in 1:09.50 for six furlongs. A Kentucky-bred by El Corredor-Weekend Star, Patches Pal would have to be supplemented at a cost of $7,500 to be eligible for the $75,000 Gottstein Futurity on Sept. 29. … Northwest Farms and trainer Tom Wenzel have promising debutantes Quiet Wisdom and Timeless Pleasure in Saturday’s fourth race for 2-year-old fillies. Quiet Wisdom is a homebred by Pulpit-Shehadmefromhello while Timeless Pleasure is a $150,000 daughter of Curlin-Salty Sal. Timeless Pleasure was scratched Sunday, Aug. 25. …
Kubinova, who earned Jockey of the Week honors, serves the second day of a two-day suspension Friday*4-year-old stakes-winning gelding D’honorable One (13-4-2-3-$100,332) has been retired from racing and will begin a new career in Dressage with Vivian Doolittle of Doolittle Dressage in Monroe. Owned by Heidi Nelson, D’honorable One dead-heated with Makors Finale for the win in the 2013 Auburn Handicap. … Though just a five-horse field, Saturday’s second race for older fillies and mares features prolific local winners Seattle Game (12-for-26 at EmD), Fantasyville (11-39), Port Wakefield (6-14) and Grand Baylee (6-17). Incidentally, those four runners are coming off victories at odds of 9-to-1, 3-to-1, 13-to-1 and 9-to-1. … Russell Baze rides in seven stakes races Saturday in the Alberta Breeders’ Fall Classic at Northlands Park.
