Racing returns to the main track at Aqueduct on Wednesday, and not a moment too soon after the carnage yesterday on the final card of the winter meet over the inner dirt track that began Nov. 30.
For the last several weeks, you held your breath every time bottom-level $7,500 claimers raced over the IDT — yesterday’s seventh race, for example, when Smartie Bobbi, a 5-year-old mare making her 18th start, broke down in the stretch, was pulled up and vanned off. Trained by Juan Serey, Smarti Bobbie suffered a slab fracture of her left knee; if she is euthanized, she will be the 19th fatal breakdown of the winter meet, and the 17th since Jan. 8.
Also in the seventh, the 8-year-old mare Honorable Miss pulled up lame after the race and was vanned off.
Just a half-hour later in the eighth race, there was a horrifying spill and collision right before the wire that sent two jockeys to the hospital, but which could have been much worse.
Mob Wife shook loose on the lead under Ramon Dominguez and looked home free with a furlong to run.
She was tiring badly in deep stretch and fading through the field when she took a bad step, stumbled and fell, throwing Dominguez to the ground.
Mob Wife was scrambling back to her feet when Suave N Sassy crashed right into her, catapulting apprentice Samuel Camacho Jr. toward the inner rail.
Miraculously, neither horse was killed.
In fact, neither Mob Wife, who was vanned off, nor Suave N Sassy was injured beyond being shaken up and sore. Dominguez, who suffered a possible collarbone injury, and Camacho, complaining of back pain, were both taken by ambulance to North Shore Hospital.
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Aqueduct meet ends in carnage
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