Trampled Jockey Undergoes Surgery

The rider who fell from his horse during the third race on opening day at Del Mar is out of surgery.

Jockey Rafael Bejarano has undergone surgery and is doing well in the hospital a day after he sustained serious facial injuries in a spill at Del Mar. His agent Joe Ferrer said Thursday that Bejarano is beginning to heal and is expected to leave the hospital on Friday.
     
Ferrer said the jockey underwent surgery for multiple facial fractures, including a broken jaw, cheek and nose. Bejarano's jaw didn't need to be wired shut.
     
"There's no timetable on when he might be completely healed, but the doctors tell me facial bones heal faster than any of the other bones in the body," Ferrer said.
     
He said Bejarano's return to action depends on the healing process and that the jockey could ride with a mask to protect his face.
     
Bejarano was injured Wednesday when his mount broke its right leg and unseated him. After hitting the ground, he was struck by a trailing horse. The horse was later euthanized.
     
He won the 2008 Del Mar riding title and is the nation's fourth-leading rider in earnings.