Sunday, June 21, 2009

Woodbine jockey Beckon hospitalized after spill

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CHAD BECKON

Jockey Chad Beckon sustained fractures to his vertebrae, nose, and cheek in a spill at Woodbine on Wednesday night.

Beckon was scheduled to undergo a CT scan on Thursday at the University of Toronto’s Sunnybrook Hospital. He fractured two vertebrae but has full mobility of his arms and legs, according to his agent, Tony Esposito.

“It’s non-surgical, his spine is fine,” Esposito said. “He’s awake and alert this morning.”

The spill occurred when Beckon’s mount, Oliver’s Strike, broke down near the three-eighths pole of the maiden special weight race over one mile and 70 yards on the synthetic Polytrack surface. The three-year-old gelding died on the track.

Jockey Simon Husbands also was thrown when his mount, Kensington Oval, fell over Oliver’s Strike. Husbands was treated at Etobicoke General Hospital near Woodbine and was released.

Beckon, the leading rider at Fort Erie last year, has seven wins from 116 mounts at Woodbine this meet through Wednesday.

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