Velez to Be Out at Least Six Weeks

Jockey Jose Velez was resting at Pomona Valley Hospital on Tuesday after suffering a back injury in a spill at Fairplex Park on Monday.

Velez, 29, a Florida rider who has been seeking a toehold on the Southern California circuit, suffered compression fractures of the fifth and sixth vertebrae and an injured left ankle in chain-reaction collision shortly after the start of Monday’s fifth race.

“I wasn’t very lucky that it happened,” Velez said. “But I was very lucky that I didn’t get hurt any worse.”

Velez was aboard even-money favorite Writer’s Gold in the 6 1/2-furlong event, breaking from post position six. El Guapo, under David Flores, broke from the outside post in the eight-horse field and bolted to his left, interfering with horses to the inside.

“One jump out of the gate, he tried to bolt,” Flores said. “When I grabbed him to try and straighten him out, he pulled even harder.”

Writer’s Gold bore the brunt of the contact, fell and threw Velez headfirst onto the ground. O.B. Quick stumbled trying to avoid the fallen horse and unseated James Felton, who was not injured.

Velez was told he would be sidelined for at least six weeks. He had ridden three winners in 27 mounts at Fairplex after a one-for-111 record at Hollywood and Del Mar.

Also Tuesday, jockey Sandi Gann was released from Pomona Valley Hospital and headed home to Phoenix, Ariz.

Gann suffered a broken vertebra in her upper neck and a broken bone at the base of her skull in a spill at Fairplex Park on Wednesday. There was no paralysis.