What about the jockeys

[P-Dub]

JOCKEY ROLLINS SUSTAINS SERIOUS INJURIES IN FALL AT BAY MEADOWS
Jun. 12, 2006

SAN MATEO -- Jockey Chance Rollins suffered a severe head injury and a possible fracture in his neck when he went over the inside rail and landed awkwardly shortly after the start of the third race at Bay Meadows Sunday.

Rollins was dislodged by his mount, Dr. Ramos, when the 5-year-old gelding became rank and then veered in sharply and hit the rail. Rollins was immediately attended to by the track's medical personnel.

"He was unconscious for more than 35 seconds and wasn't breathing when we reached him," reported track physician Dr. David Seftel. "He required a full cardio- respiratory resuscitation."

Rollins was taken to the emergency room at Stanford Hospital for a CAT-scan, which revealed bleeding in the back of his brain. He was scheduled to have an MRI Sunday night and was listed in critical condition.

Rollins, 36, ranks fourth in the Bay Meadows jockey standings with 19 victories at the spring meeting.

Dr. Ramos, the 4-to-5 favorite in the 1 1/16-mile race for $4,000 claimers, was uninjured and completed the race with the field.




I\'m all for doing whatever is necessary to keep horses safe on the track.  Lets not forget about the jockeys too.

[Uncle Buck]

Here\'s a quick blurb that ran locally in yesterday\'s SF Chronicle. Cross your fingers...

Injured jockey is still in coma
Larry Stumes

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Jockey Chance Rollins, who sustained injuries to his head in a spill Sunday at Bay Meadows, had his condition upgraded from critical to serious Monday, and he remains in a medication-induced coma in the intensive care unit at Stanford Medical Center.

\"His sedative is being slowly reduced to wake him up so that we can evaluate the degree of cognitive impairment,\" Bay Area racetrack physician Dr. David Seftel said. \"It\'s difficult to predict the outcome. The next 48 to 72 hours will tell. He could have just minimal memory loss, or he could be in a vegetative state. I\'m cautiously optimistic knowing the resiliency and toughness of jockeys.\"

An MRI scan Sunday revealed no splintering of the carotid arteries in the neck, but it showed three conditions -- a stretching of the nerve fiber in the brain matter, a small hemorrhage in the lining and a small pool of blood at the base of the brain.

Rollins, 36, was riding Dr. Ramos in Sunday\'s third race -- a 11/16-mile event that began in front of the grandstand. Dr. Ramos began running erratically soon after the start and veered in and hit the rail. Rollins flew up in the air, bounced off the rail and landed head-first on the hard surface just to the inside of the track.