Gomez Hospitalized After Belmont Park Incident

Jockey Garrett Gomez was hospitalized Oct. 3 following an incident at Belmont Park during the third race of the day.

Gomez was thrown when his mount, the Dale Romans-trained Westmoreland, stumbled at the start of a 1 1/16-mile claiming race on the inner turf. The jockey was on his feet following the incident and walked to the track ambulance. He was complaining of lower back pain and was transported to North Shore University Hospital for precautionary x-rays.

“He got up and walked, but he felt a twinge in his back so he decided he should get it checked out,” said the jockey’s valet, Tony Milan.

Gomez is the leading rider in the nation with $16,455,724 in earnings and 199 wins from 985 starts in 2007. He has piloted 57 stakes winners thus far this year, including grade I wins in the Santa Monica Handicap aboard Pussycat Doll, the Las Virgenes Stakes, Santa Anita Oaks, and Kentucky Oaks aboard Rags to Riches, the Haskell Invitational on Any Given Saturday, the Hopeful Stakes with Majestic Warrior, and the Woodbine Mile aboard Shakespeare. He has a 20% win rate and finishes in the money 52%.