Jody Petty, the 2005 National Steeplechase Association champion jockey, suffered four broken ribs and a ruptured spleen in a fall during the Little Everglades race meet in Dade City, Fla., on Sunday, March 5, the season’s first race meet.
Petty, 35, had surgery to remove his spleen and is recovering at Pasco Regional Medical Center in Dade City.
He fell from Capital Peak at the second-last fence of the day’s fourth race (a $20,000 allowance hurdle). Petty was challenging eventual winner Hip Hop for the lead, when Capital Peak bobbled badly on landing and dislodged Petty.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I tried to get head-and-head with Hip Hop before that fence, but he left me a little bit and my horse dragged his hind end,” said Petty on Tuesday afternoon in the hospital. “It popped me out of the saddle and to the side, so I was trying to stay on—at least long enough to get my feet out of the irons. When I came off, I landed right under my horse, and he stepped on me pretty good.”
Petty will stay in the hospital through Thursday, at least. “Now I feel OK. But about 12 hours ago, I felt terrible,” Petty said earlier today. “There was a lot of pain, but it’s gotten better.”
It’s too soon to say when Petty will be back in action, but he hopes to be ready to ride McDynamo, on whom he won the Breeders’ Cup and Colonial Cup last fall, in the $150,000 Royal Chase at Keeneland (Ky.) on April 21.
