Irad Ortiz Jr broke his ankle and will need surgery after She’s Good Trouble stumbled leaving the gate and unseated him in the ninth and final race Thursday at Keeneland, his agent, Steve Rushing, told Horse Racing Nation in a text message.
The injury came eight days before the Breeders’ Cup, which Keeneland hosts October 30-31.
She’s Good Trouble, the 3-1 second choice for trainer Joe Sharp, stumbled a stride after the start of the $85,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on dirt, according to the Equibase chart. She ran loose around the track before an outrider caught her, and she walked off.
Emergency medical technicians carried Ortiz off the track and into the first aid SUV, Daily Racing Form’s David Grening reported. Ortiz later was wheeled out of first aid on a stretcher. Keeneland said in a statement that he was alert and had been transported to the hospital for further evaluation of a possible lower-extremity injury.
Sharp won the race with his other starter. Spur of the Moment, the 2-1 favourite under Tyler Gaffalione, took command passing the five-sixteenths pole and drew off by 8 1/2 lengths in 1:45.94. She paid $7.90 to win. Bravojuliet held second by a head over Validida.
The spill came three weeks after Ortiz returned from a foot injury that cost him 55 days. On August 8 at Saratoga, his mount, And the Runner Is, ran off during the post parade and pinned Ortiz’s left foot against the outside rail, leaving him with seven small fractures. He avoided surgery and returned October 2, opening day of the Keeneland fall meet, winning the Phoenix Stakes (G2) aboard Nakatomi that afternoon.
The five-time Eclipse Award winner added the Franklin Stakes (G2) aboard Time to Dazzle on October 11 and entered Thursday one win behind Gaffalione, 17-16, in the fall meet standings.
