Woodbine Jockey Hernandez Sustains 'Small Fracture'
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Photo: Coady Photography
Jockey Rafael Hernandez
Rafael Hernandez, Canada's Sovereign Award-winning jockey in 2020, will miss riding for three to five weeks due to a fracture suffered in a fall in the last race at Woodbine June 12, agent Tony Esposito tweeted.
The rider was unseated when his mount, Super Jade , clipped heels leaving the turn of Saturday's 11th race, a maiden $15,000 claimer at 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track. Super Jade, owned by Patrick Paul and trained by Norman McKnight, fell and was vanned off, according to the Equibase chart.
Stewards conducted an inquiry into the incident involving the Leo Salles-ridden Queen Beach , who finished sixth and whose heels Super Jade clipped. At the time of the spill, Super Jade was racing just behind Queen Beach and to her outside. The chart noted Queen Beach angled from "two to four-wide on the turn." Stewards made no change to the order of finish.
Hernandez rode the following day at Woodbine, June 13, winning with one of his 10 mounts.
"We thought he should have a check up and they found a small fracture. Looking forward to better days," Esposito tweeted June 14.
Last year's leading rider at Woodbine, Hernandez rode three winners during opening weekend on Saturday and Sunday, placing him in an early tie for second in the standings with Kazushi Kimura. Emma-Jayne Wilson currently is in first with four victories.