Apprentice jockey Saez dies following Indiana Grand accident

Apprentice jockey Juan Saez, 17, died late Tuesday night in an Indianapolis

hospital due to injuries sustained in a spill at Indiana Grand earlier in the

day.

Montezuma Express, ridden by Saez, clipped heels with the horse in front of

him, Paddy's Notes. As a result of the contact in the turn of the six-furlong

race, Montezuma Express fell, causing Saez to be unseated. A trailing horse,

Masaru ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., was unable to avoid the fallen horse and

also fell, unseating Santana.

Saez, a native of Panama and younger brother of jockey Luis Saez, was

airlifted from the scene by Life Flight and transported to Methodist Hospital in

Indianapolis where he later died from severe head trauma. Masaru was euthanized

as a result of the incident. No other riders were transported to the hospital.

Indiana Grand canceled the final race on Tuesday's program and all of

Wednesday's card in the wake of the accident.

"Our hearts and prayers are with Juan's family and friends today," said Jon

Schuster, Indiana Grand's vice president and general manager of racing. "To have

an up-and-coming star in the sport of horse racing taken from us so young is a

tragedy.

Saez was a graduate of the Laffit Pincay riding school in Panama City. He won

89 races from 440 mounts and had been the leading rider at the Ellis Park meet

this summer with 51 wins.

"Juan was such a talented and sweet kid, with a promising future," said

jockey John Velazquez, chairman of the Jockeys' Guild. "It is like losing a

member of the family. We are competing against one another on the track, but off

the track, we are all very close."

Saez is the first jockey killed in action in the U.S. since July 2012 when an

accident at Pleasanton in California claimed the life of Jorge Harrera.

According to the Jockeys' Guild, Saez is believed to be the 153rd jockey to lose

his life at a North American racetrack since 1940.

Keeneland held a moment of silence Wednesday after its third race to remember

Saez, who rode his first winner at Keeneland on October 9 and recorded two

victories from 26 starts during the fall meet.