NEWS
Owner of Silverfoot honors injured rider Douglas
Posted: Sunday, June 07, 2009 3:40 PM
Silverfoot unleashed his powerful closing kick in the stretch at Arlington Park on Saturday and edged Public Speaker by a neck to win the $54,100 Tin Man Stakes, but owner Stephanie Clark quickly turned her attention from the nine-year-old gelding to injured rider Rene Douglas.
Clark said after the victory she would donate the $32,460 winner’s share of the purse to the fund set up by Douglas's family and friends to help defray the costs incurred since he was injured in a May 23 racing accident at Arlington. Douglas guided Silverfoot to a win in the 2008 Stars and Stripes Turf Handicap (G3).
"I'd like to donate the purse we just won from Silverfoot to Rene's fund and wish him well," Clark said. "We thank him for the wonderful opportunity last year [winning the Stars and Stripes]."
Silverfoot has earned a stakes win in five of the previous six years. A winner of 11 of 35 career starts with purse earnings of $942,075, Silverfoot did not race in 2007.
Jockey Jesse Campbell also paid tribute to Douglas on Saturday at Arlington after he won the $53,300 Nicole’s Dream Stakes aboard Taylor Madison.
"This win was for Rene," an emotional Campbell said in the winner's circle. "I got word in the paddock that Rene was betting on my horse and this win was for him. He's helped me to be a better rider for a lot of years."
Riders at racetracks across the nation participated on Saturday in a show of support for Douglas and the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. Jockeys held a moment of tribute for Douglas and fellow injured riders at approximately 4:15 p.m. EDT. All active riders were asked to consider contributing one losing mount fee from their Saturday earnings to Douglas.
Douglas, 42, was injured in the Arlington Matron Stakes (G3) when his mount, Born to Be, was bumped by Sky Mom after that opponent was angled out entering the stretch. Born to Be then clipped heels with fading pacesetter Boudoir and tumbled straight down, leaving Douglas no chance to react as he fell headfirst to the main track. The filly was knocked unconscious and rolled over onto Douglas.
Douglas spent about seven hours in surgery on May 24 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago as doctors operated to decompress the fifth and sixth vertebrae of his spinal cord. Doctors said it would take about two weeks to properly evaluate the severity of the injury to the spinal cord.
