OXO Equine's Galt and LRE Racing and JEH Racing Stable's High Oak were reported OK after both horses went down in a spill on the far turn of the the March 5 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park. Bill Mott, the unlucky trainer of Galt and High Oak, confirmed the morning of March 6 that both 3-year-olds are 'unscathed'. It was also confirmed that jockeys Joel Rosario and Junior Alvarado, unseated during the incident, are on the mend, and will be back in the tack in a few days.
Rosario, the 2021 Eclipse Award winning jockey, piloted Galt in the Fountain of Youth. The Medaglia d'Oro colt was making his fifth start for Mott. Rosario rode in six races March 5, including a third-place finish with Media Blitz in the Mac Diarmida Stakes (G2T) prior to the Fountain of Youth, which was the 12th race on the day's card.
"He's sore from his tumble," agent Ron Anderson said Sunday morning. "He's a little bit sore from last week in Saudi, so yesterday didn't help things. I didn't throw him on a plane this morning to head to Hot Springs. He will be off until Friday, but nothing is broken or anything. He's just sore. It could have been a lot worse."
"I've seen limited views of it and probably not anything that resembles a steward's view, which they didn't show for some reason," trainer Bill Mott said. "Maybe because they realized they should have taken the horse down, but it appeared a horse made a move from the inside, bumping another horse which bumped us, and we clipped heels with it. Everybody thinks the horse with Paco (In Due Time) caused the problem. Kind of a chain reaction."
No plans just yet for either of these guys, they looked good last night and this morning, but we want to give them some time and not make any quick decisions."
Alvarado was the other jockey involved in the spill aboard High Oak. The son of Gormley was making his fourth career start and first of 2022. High Oak had been away from the races since a fourth-place effort in last September's Hopeful Stakes (G1) after capturing the Saratoga Special Stakes Presented by Miller Lite (G2).
Alvarado was slated to ride March 6 at Gulfstream but will be waiting until March 9 to get back in the saddle.
"He's not riding today but will be back on Wednesday. His ankle is good; he's just taking a day. He's a little sore," agent Mike Sellitto said.
Alvarado has made 247 starts this year, seeing a record of 31-46-31 with career earnings of $109,582,055. In 2021 he was ranked 20th by earnings. "It's a good possibility Junior will be going to Churchill Downs and Keeneland," commented Sellitto. "It's not a definite yet."
Sellitto is also the agent for west coast jockey Umberto Rispoli, who will be moving his tack to New York beginning the first week of April. Rispoli is looking forward to the move. He rode Smooth Like Strait to a second-place finish in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T) and was ranked 14th by earnings in 2021. This year he has ridden 106 starters with a record of 14-16-21. He currently sits on earnings of $18,665,012.
"He's going to change venues, and he's excited to try his talents in New York. He's going to be open to riding with anybody, no one in particular. He's coming in to ride with everybody," the agent said. "He will be heading out to New York probably right after the Santa Anita Derby (G1)."
