Jockey Eurico Rosa da Silva, who won the 2009 and 2010 Queen's Plate with Eye of the Leopard and Big Red Mike, respectively, will be out for the rest of the 2011 racing season after an incident in the Oct. 15 Cup and Saucer Stakes at Woodbine.
Da Silva will miss eight scheduled mounts on the Pattison Canadian International (gr. IT) program Oct. 16, including a ride on Yield Bogey in the Nearctic Stakes (Can-IT).
"I would like to thank everyone, including the fans for their support," said da Silva in a Woodbine release.
The jockey sustained a slight fracture above his ankle after he was kicked by another horse during the running of the Cup and Saucer.
Da Silva was aboard favored Aldous Snow, who was racing at the rear of the pack when Secret Consultant broke down early on the backstretch of the 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-olds, which was contested on soft turf. The jockey altered course with Aldous Snow to avoid the distressed horse, then, after being kicked, pulled up his mount shortly afterward. Aldous Snow was not inured in the mishap. Secret Consultant was euthanized.
"I am looking forward to getting back riding as soon as I can,” da Silva said. “And I would like to say, 'Good luck to everybody!'"
"It will take four to six weeks to heal, but Eurico made the decision to take the rest of the year off," said da Silva’s agent, Tom Patton, in a statement. "Nothing is displaced, but he wants to make sure he is 100%. He's very grateful for all the support he has received.
A native of Brazil, da Silva won the Woodbine riding title and the Sovereign Award as Canada's champion jockey, both in 2010.