Racing to Resume at Turfway Park; Rowland Still Critical

Turfway Park in Northern Kentucky will resume live racing tonight (Feb. 6) after canceling last night out of respect for injured jockey Michael Rowland, who remains in critical condition at University Hospital.

Rowland suffered severe head injuries in an accident at Turfway on Wednesday night.

"Our thoughts and prayers of course remain with Mike and his family," said Robert Elliston, Turfway Park president. "My staff and I discussed at length this morning whether to cancel our races tonight, and I then had a conversation with Mike's wife, Tammy. She told me, 'Go back and tell the riders to go back out there and ride as hard as they can for Michael.' "

Rowland was injured during the seventh race at Turfway on Feb. 4, when the horse he was riding, World Trade, fractured a foreleg and fell, unseating Rowland. He was in the lead on the turn at the time and two other horses in the race were unable to avoid colliding with his fallen mount. Both of those riders were unseated as well; Jessica Endres was treated at the track, and Mark Johnston was taken to University Hospital for treatment of a broken collarbone. Johnston was released from the hospital on Thursday. 

World Trade was euthanized. The other two horses, Endres‚ mount Joanies No Phony and Johnston's mount Miner Moss, were returned to their trainers' care.