Jockey Meier Escapes Serious Injury at Arlington

by Claire E. Novak
Randy Meier, the all-time leading rider at Chicago's Hawthorne Race Course, took off his remaining mounts on Saturday after he was injured in the starting gate prior to Arlington Park's second race.

Meier's mount, a 2-year-old first time starter trained by Dee Poulos, flipped in the gate and unseated the rider, who ended up with his right leg caught between the back doors of the starting gate. Meier was transported via ambulance to Northwestern hospital, where multiple x-rays showed no broken bones.

"At first I landed on top of my right shoulder," said Meier, speaking from his recliner at home on Saturday evening, "so I was lucky I didn't break that again. But I basically ended up hanging there by my right leg, which is very sore."

Meier will sit out the next few days and plans to return to riding on Wednesday. "I'm sitting under a big bag of ice, and I'll wait a few days to let the swelling go down," he said. "I don't mind taking advantage of the chance to do a little time relaxing – when you're a jockey, getting hurt is about the only way you get a vacation."