Apprentice Toups Sidelined Following Thursday Spill

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By Claire Novak
Apprentice jockey Randall Toups was expected to be released Friday from North Shore University Hospital in New York after being treated for injuries he sustained during a spill in Aqueduct's fifth race Thursday.

According to his agent, Randy Romero, the 16-year-old rider suffered a hairline fracture of a lower lumbar vertebra and will be off all mounts for approximately two weeks.

"There's good news and bad news," Romero said from North Shore University Hospital. "He doesn't require surgery, he didn't get a concussion, and he didn't break anything serious. That's good, but the bad news is that he'll be off for awhile."

Toups was injured in a 6-furlong claiming race when his mount, Mombo Loco, broke down on the far turn. Initial concerns over a possible concussion were relieved when Toups was transported to North Shore in Manhassatt, but precautionary x-rays revealed the jockey's injured back. Mombo Loco, a 6-year-old horse owned by Joseph Parisi and trained by Dominick Schettino, was euthanized.

"Randall was pretty sore and tired, so he decided to stay in the hospital tonight," Romero said. "He's just gonna have to rest and take it easy."

A native of Erath, Louisiana, Toups got his start in racing when he was twelve, working for well-known Cajun horseman Lloyd Romero. He moved his tack to New York after riding in Kentucky last year, and currently ranks 12th in the jockey statistics for Aqueduct's Inner Track meet with a record of 7-11-5 from 101 starts.

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