Russell Sidelined With Broken Wrist From Gate Mishap

Jockey Sheldon Russell, leading rider at Laurel Park's current summer meet, will miss about a month with a broken right wrist suffered in a gate mishap July 16 at Delaware Park.

Agent Marty Leonard said the 32-year-old Russell was hurt after being unseated by his mount Maliceinthepalace, a 3-year-old filly trained by Michael Gorham, as the horses were loading for Delaware's third race. Maliceinthepalace went on to finish fourth under Alex Cintron.

"Walking into the gate the horse just reared up and (Russell) came off. When he came off, he landed on the ground and used his hand to brace his fall and that's what did it," Leonard said. "The second he hit the ground, he said he knew it was broken. They went and got X-rays and that confirmed it."

Leonard said Russell, married to Laurel-based trainer Brittany Russell, is expected to be out "four to six weeks."

"You never expect that to happen," Leonard said.

Sheldon Russell leads Laurel's summer meet, which began May 30 following a 2 1/2-month pause in live racing amid the coronavirus pandemic, with 20 wins and $568,391 in purse earnings, five wins ahead of runner-up Trevor McCarthy.

Russell had five multi-win days during the summer stand, including hat tricks June 6, 8, and 12. He is the regular rider for multiple stakes-winning 3-year-old filly Hello Beautiful, under consideration for the Aug. 8 Longines Test (G1) at Saratoga Race Course and trained by his wife.