Calder Jockey Hernandez Breaks Clavicle

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(from Calder Race Course)

Jockey Constantino Hernandez sustained a broken right clavicle at Calder Race Course Nov. 15 when his mount, the 2-year-old Red Hot Candy, stumbled at the start of the ninth race and unseated him.

Hernandez hit the ground hard, but walked away from the incident. He found out later that he had injured his collarbone.

“I thought I was OK, but it was broken pretty well,” said Hernandez from his home in Hollywood the morning of Nov. 16. “I think I may have broken a toe as well. I’m going to have that checked out in the morning.”
       
Hernandez expects it will take about two months for his broken collarbone to heal. It marks the second significant injury of the year for the rider, who broke his right arm at the end of the Gulfstream Park meet earlier in 2008.
       
These injuries are no match for what Hernandez endured 20 years ago when, at age 31, a horse he was riding at Calder on the turf course fell suddenly and threw the jockey to ground. Several horses then trampled him, including one that stepped on his head.

His injuries were so severe that it wasn’t until 19 years later that Hernandez would return to race riding. He launched his comeback at Calder last summer and visited the winner’s circle for the first time Aug. 12, 2007.

Hernandez won one race from 37 mounts during the 2008 Calder meet and is two-for-24 at the current tropical stand.

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