Apprentice rider Jose Ortiz escaped serious injury in fall over the weekend at Belmont Park and was expected to be released from North Shore University Hospital the afternoon of July 16.
According to the NYRA Jockey Advocate, CT scans and x-rays were negative on Ortiz, with the exception of a bruised lung. Oritz stayed overnight at the hospital following his fall July 15.
"We won't rush into anything," said Ortiz's agent, Mike Gonzalez, regarding when he might return to the races. "We will find out more from the doctors and go from there."
Ortiz, the brother of jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., was unseated when his mount, Destination Moon, clipped heels with another horse at the half-mile pole during the eighth race at Belmont. Destination Moon, a 3-year-old daughter of Golden Missile and trained by Hall of Famer H. Allen Jerkens, appeared uninjured in the incident. In 2012, Ortiz has ridden 44 winners from 350 starters.
