Samyn loses
two fingers in snow blower accident
Jockey Jean-Luc Samyn, a fixture on The New York Racing Association circuit,
will be sidelined approximately one month after cutting off two fingers, and
breaking another, in a snow blower accident.
Samyn, 54, was unclogging his snow blower on February 21, with the power of
the machine turned off, when the blade moved forward and cut off two-thirds of
the index and middle fingers on his right hand. He also fractured the ring
finger on his right hand in the incident.
“You have to look on the bright side,” said Samyn, who hopes to return to
riding in either late March or early April. “I am fortunate that this didn’t end
up being worse.”
The French native has won 2,611 races over the course of his 36-year career,
with more than $94 million in purses earned. He boasts more than 110 stakes
victories in New York, perhaps most notably riding John’s Call to wins in the
Sword Dancer Invitational (G1) and Turf Classic Invitational (G1), both in 2000.
Samyn, who has won two races at Aqueduct Racetrack this year, remained upbeat
despite the setback.
“This is actually good for my career, because I’m now lighter,” he joked. “If
trainers want a light jockey, they can ride me.”