Apprentice jockey Amanda Casey will remain at North Shore University Hospital
for a week to recover from a bruised liver suffered when she was kicked by her
horse in the paddock at Aqueduct on Friday.
According to her agent, Joe Ceraulo, Casey was admitted to the intensive care
unit after being diagnosed with internal bleeding. Casey, of South Glens Falls,
New York, was taken by ambulance to the hospital after her mount, Karakorum Jete
(Dance With Ravens), kicked her in the right side before the 9TH and final race
of the day.
“They chose not to do surgery, which is a good sign,” Ceraulo said Saturday
morning. “They want to keep a close eye on her for a week. They said best-case
scenario, she will probably be out from four to six weeks.”
Casey was accompanied to the hospital by a registered nurse from the New York
Racing Association’s Jockey Medical Advocate Program, which was implemented a
year ago to assist both jockey and family members with medical and administrator
matters in the event a rider is injured.
“Having the nurse advocate there really moved the needle,” said Ceraulo. “We
were waiting a while for a bed to open, but everything else went very smoothly
and quickly.”
Earlier Friday, Casey got her first victory at the Aqueduct meet aboard 47-1
shot Wynot Siyue (Kalu) in the 4TH race. The seven-pound apprentice has a record
of 1-1-2 from seven months through the first three days of the meet.