Jockey Mitchell to Undergo Hand Surgery

Jockey Gallyn Mitchell, the all-time leading rider at Emerald Downs, is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair a severe fracture in his right hand.

Mitchell was injured Aug. 5 as the horses were loading in the gate for the $50,000 Angie C Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at the Washington state track. Mitchell’s mount, Blueberry Smoothie, reared and tossed the jockey to the ground, stepping on his hand in the ensuing scramble.

“She kicked him like a soccer ball, he’s got bruises all over his body,” said Denise Mitchell, the jockey’s wife and agent. “The bone below the thumb is completely in two. They don’t know whether they’re going to use pins, plates, or screws.”

If a cast is necessary, a typical recuperation period would be about eight weeks, she said, adding that her husband hopes to be back before that. “He’s tough, he always wants to ride,” she said.

Mitchell leads the meet by wins (1,347), stakes wins (76), and earnings ($13,847,850). He ranks 10th with 25 wins at the 2012 meet.

Blueberry Smoothie, with Leslie Mawing substituting, finished second to stablemate Goin to the Window in the Angie C.