Jockey Matthew Straight, twin brother of apprentice jockey Michael Straight who was injured in an Aug. 26 incident at Arlington Park, has issued the following Sept. 2 statement regarding the condition of his brother:

“Mike had a minor procedure this morning to remove a little air build-up in his lungs, which the doctors tell me is common for people on a ventilator. That procedure was successful.

“He had an MRI yesterday and the results came back as expected—that there is a head injury and a spinal injury. The doctors say the head injury will heal on its own in time.

“He still has no feeling in his lower body, but until the swelling around the spine goes down, we are keeping positive thoughts. He is responding to commands and shakes his head “yes” and “no” when responding to questions and holding up fingers when asked.”