Jockey Rosie Napravnik is scheduled to undergo surgery Thursday morning, July 7, on a broken left arm sustained in a July 6 spill at Delaware Park, her public relations manager confirmed when reached by phone later that evening.
According to Kelly Wietsma of Equisponse PR, the surgery will be done at Christiana Hospital in Newark, Del., where the 23-year-old rider was transported after her horse broke down in the eighth race at the Mid-Atlantic oval.
“I corresponded with Rosie via text and with her agent, Mark Mace, by phone, and while details are still unfolding, it looks like the break was above a plate that was inserted following a previous injury,” Weitsma said. “We’ll know more tomorrow and hopefully reports from the doctors will bring good news.”
Napravnik was riding Naseeb, a 4-year-old daughter of Belong to Me, who is owned by Kaleem Shah and trained by Dale Capuano. The filly, the 5-2 second choice in the race, broke down about a quarter-mile into the five-furlong race on the turf. She suffered a broken bone between her shoulder and elbow and was euthanized, according to Daily Racing Form.
The first female to win a Fair Grounds riding title, Napravnik was leading the current Delaware Park meeting with 36 wins from 146 starts. She ranks eighth in the nation with 131 victories and ninth by purse earnings with $4,699,716. Earlier this year she was also the first female in history to win the $1 million Louisiana Derby (gr. I), which she took aboard the Kelly Breen-trained Pants On Fire. The colt is now a contender for Monmouth Park’s $1 million Haskell Invitational (gr. I).
Napravnik was scheduled to ride likely favorite St. John's River, the runner-up in this year’s Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), in the Delaware Oaks (gr. III) on July 9.
Rosie Napravnik
Skip Dickstein