Jockey Paralyzed In Fall At Golden Gate Fields
OAKLAND: Promising Jockey Paralyzed From Waist Down After Terrible Tumble
Updated on: 2010-09-15 02:25:43
One of the top-rated jockeys in California remained at Oakland's Highland Hospital Tuesday night following a horrific spill at Golden Gate Fields Sunday that easily could have killed the young athlete.
Michael Martinez was in critical but stable condition after severing his spinal cord in a brutal fall during a weekend race, Golden Gate Fields track physician Dr. David Seftel said.
The 24-year-old started racing only four years ago, but the promising jockey has already won 168 races and is currently ranked 13th in the nation.
Martinez was riding Fair 'n Warmer, a 3-year-old filly, in the fifth race on Sunday. As Martinez was rounding a turn at approximately 35 miles an hour, his horse clipped the heels of another horse. Martinez was thrown to the ground and his 1,100-pound filly rolled over him, according to track officials.
Seftel got to him first.
"He was unconscious, barely breathing and had a mouthful of dirt," Seftel said.
As riders cleared the field, the doctor found Martinez had fractured vertebrae and a severed spinal cord.
"He broke all the ribs alongside that area," Seftel said. "[He] had bleeding into his lungs as well as a major head injury."
He is paralyzed from the waist down, according to Seftel.
The doctor it was the "worst injury we've seen" in at least the past decade at the racetrack.
"But this is a young man who is very strong, and despite all his injuries, it's probable that he will pull through," Seftel said.
On Tuesday, Martinez remained in a medically induced coma after undergoing 11 hours of emergency surgery Sunday night. Friends and family gathered at Highland Hospital to offer support.
His fiancee, Charlotte Garcia, is expecting the couple's first child at some point this week, Seftel said.
"He's a very warm person," Seftel said. "It's an unprecedented tragedy."
Martinez is the second-leading jockey during this summer's season at Golden Gate Fields, and had already won an earlier race on Sunday.
"Had a naturally ability with horses. Horses just responded for him," said Martinez's agent Dennis Patterson. "He got the most out of horses during the race. You know, he was just a rising star."
Family and friends just hope Martinez will recover with no regrets. His cousin Alex Solis, also a top-ranked jockey, said Martinez gave his all to the sport he loved so much.
"He accomplished a lot of the things that he wanted to do and life goes on," said Solis.
Fair 'n Warmer, the horse he was riding, scrambled back to her feet after the fall and appeared to be uninjured, track officials said.
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Víctor Lei
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