Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux suffered fractures in his back when going down in a spill in Saturday's fifth race at Santa Anita. In a post on his Facebook page, Desormeaux said the spill caused a “couple little bone cracks” in his back, but that he will not need surgery. Desormeaux added that his doctor “says it's completely a pain management situation.”
The 50-year-old three-time Eclipse Award-winning rider was aboard Scat's Choice (Scat Daddy) for trainer Vann Belvoir in the $25,000 claiming event when the 3-year-old filly broke down, throwing Desormeaux to the track. He was taken to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena complaining of hip pain. Scat's Choice was euthanized and is the first racing fatality at Santa Anita since 2019.
Desormeaux had just recently returned to riding at the start of the Santa Anita winter meet after a five-month hiatus that included a stay in an alcohol rehabilitation center.
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