He won the 26k race prior to it too.

Rene rode two winners for me that unless you bet the horse or owned the horse, you wouldn't have given it a second glance. He also drove me nuts on other rides and I swore he wouldn't ride for us again. But he always participated in all the goofy Arlington PR dunk tank stuff and never showed up late in the AM for works. It's a truly horrible situation and I second everyone's thoughts and prayers here...It was a weird day at the track today.

Hopefully his current situation has do with the swelling or edema in the injured area which would regress in 10-14 days potentially allowing the nerve roots/cord to recover and transmit impulses hopefully leading to recovery of muscle movement.

As long as he does not have a transection or severing of his cord like that poor unfortunate kid Andrew Lakeman did two years ago at Belmont his prognosis may have reason to hope. Hopefully his paralysis is due to the edema squeezing the nerve root/cord which slows down blood flow (ischemia) throughout the cord.

It's likely Rene is still in the hypothermic phase of resuscitation where his body is cooled to 32-33 C to minimize the secondary phase of the neuro injury. They keep patients ventilated and sedated so it is impossible to know anything about recovery of function until he is not being treated this way. It isn't done every time but in 2009 hypothermia is a big part of acute neuro care.

If he did in fact have movement and feeling in his feet post fall that is a huge positive. My most sincere prayers are certainly with he and his family.

Doc..you posted accurately about that kid who had the football injury that was treated immediately and was able to walk again. Is this comparable and will AP (or any track) not having a similar response situation cost him?

Yes, thank you. I grew up in the Chicago-land
 

and was for some reason thinking they shipped him to the hospital up in the NW suburb's... I hope they did call in someone top rate... taking your chances on who is on the call list on a holiday weekend.... you never know

I/L

The hypothermic environment would not be a track available or expected therapy. Patients have to be accurately diagnosed before that protocol is utilized. Without really knowing how severe Rene's injury is there really is not more to stay other than to keep coming back to the feeling or movement he had in his feet. Permanent paralysis cases never have movement or true feeling post event because there is no blood flow so he must have still had blow flow post injury.

Missed the transfer comment.....

Chicago has a first rate trauma service. There is no way a neuro injury in a city of that size and medical reputation doesn't get triaged to a Level 1 trauma center

He had surgery at Northwestern Medical Center one of the finest medical centers in the country.

that's what i'm hoping for, that any paralysis has to do with swelling at the injury site. no doubt tho everyone has seen that they're concerned that a bone fragment could have caused damage. but i'm taking the fact that he did have feeling in his extremties earlier as a good sign-i'm hoping for the best, as i'm sure everyone is.

I just read and heard about this, I am really at a loss for words. Heres hoping for the best for Rene Douglas and family

He started at a level 1 trauma center, then got helicoptered downtown due to them having a better neuro center.

I totally agree with your assessments too, as my sister's a clinical pharmacist in the ICU at Childrens/Barnes in STL and what she told me earlier today matched exactly. Let's all hope for the best when the swelling goes down.

I have ridden Rene quite a bit over the years. He was a smart rider and he rode hard. While I was pissed at him over a few rides last fall, I still respected his abilities as a jockey. This is a horrible deal for anyone but especially someone as competitive as Rene.

I scanned the thread and didn't see this confirmed but Born to Be was euthanized. I would've been surprised if she hadn't been but I was just told about it.

Rene was a good rider that wasn't afraid of saving ground and using the rail, I will miss watching his rides if indeed he doesn't walk again and if he chooses not to ride again, wish him the best.

from drf:

Born to Be, who shipped in from Woodbine for trainer Eric Coatrieux, was badly injured and had to be euthanized, according to Arlington officials Sunday.

at a loss for words.................... thoughts and prayers go out to rene and his family.


-bt-

You know, today was a very good, yet sobering day here at Arlington. The sun was out, the girls were plentiful, Albin ran his rear end off, but all day and night all I could think about is how I would react if the thing I loved most was taken away from me.

Thinking about something like this really messes with ya, and quite honestly, it is really amazing that the other jockeys were able to compete and ride with the same enthusiam (minus Lydie Wade) after seeing what happening. It is a testament to them and their courage.

Hopefully he is able to make it back to the track in some capacity because Arlington would indeed miss not being able to understand him. :)

Jamie Theriot gets 30 days suspension from AP stewards for careless riding in the mishap...

DRF's Marcus Hersch on ATR at 4:15p with latest on Douglas...

Does this mean that he can not ride anywhere? or just Arlington?

I didn't even see it happen during the running of the race. Theriot's ride was awful and completely unacceptable.

My thoughts are with Rene and his family -- this is just terrible.

Anywhere. Most tracks/States/jurisdictions reciprocate.

I wish only the best for Rene and his family. I pray for a complete recovery. Is anyone else a little upset that the Arlington website as of this morning was not even acknolodging that this had happened. I don't think that kind of head in the sand logic makes any sense.

Its in effect at all race tracks.

Theriot never saw Douglas,as he was looking ahead of his horse.Douglas was coming up from BEHIND him.Accidents happen in this game,and that is what this was,an ACCIDENT!! So for you to crucify Theriot is totally unfair.How do you think Theriot feels about all this?? And you sit and b>itch about cajun riding,Or how jockeys go too wide all the time,yet you were all happy with the way Calvin rode in the derby.You are way out of line to go after Theriot here.He did nothing intentional.

Is it?

Yes,it is.

I think it's pretty fair. I know of at least one rider in that race who kept a straight course...then again, he's the one in the hospital right now and may never walk again.

Maybe I'm splitting hairs.

Many hairs :)

So there is no expectation that you will look around you...
 

in huge traffic around the turn headed into the stretch... if you step through the video frame by frame... where was Theriot thinking he was going to run to by bursting to the right? There was a wall of horses ahead of him. I know he feel terrible, an awful situation, but it's a little bit of a stretch to say.. hey stuff happens

I/L

When Thoroughbred horses come with rear view mirrors installed,please let me know.It was an accident.I've seen a lot of worse bumps than what I saw.It's unfortunate what happened to Douglas,but an accident.

HRTV reporting that Theriot got 30 days from the Arlington stewards.

The hospital he initially went to is literally no more than 1 mile from Arlington. Maybe not even that.

Left Bank, you are way off base here. You're right accidents happen and most times they can't be prevented. But this was nothing more than a case of pure carelessness. Theirot forced his way into a hole that wasn't there, forcing Douglass to run up the back of a tiring horse. It was a careless, selfish move that led to the death of a horse and probably an end of a career.

And is a Level One Trauma Center.

You're way off,not me.I watched the replay a zillion times and Theriot never turned his head,and never pulled a rein or did any deliberate move whatsoever.He did nothing intentional,probably didn't know Douglas was there until they bumped,and did NOT force his way in to a so called hole you claim was there,and if you ask me,it was not that bad of a bump that would warrant 30 days.This One's For Phil was bumped harder at Gulfstream than Douglas was.You will probably see a race this week where a horse gets bumped and pushed around harder than this.

It was an avoidable accident. I'm always gunna think he came out to keep a guy (loaded with horse) from unleashing a run. Could of been a lot of people doing it(not just Theriot.) I think I said that it's tolerated at just about every track. That means Theriot is certainly not the only one.

I don't think anyone thought that it was intentional. But you do have to be accountable for your actions. He went for a seam on the turn that Douglass already had the jump on, knocking him out of it into the back of a tiring horse. You're right Theriot never turned HIS head to check if he was clear to his outside to make any sort of move. Theriot was stuck on the rail in the middle of the pack, how could he not be conscious of the horses around him? He jepordized himself and the rest of the field and Douglass and his mount ended up paying for it. If Theriot would have gave a glance he would have stayed on the rail, which eventually opened up anyway.

:tro: :tro:

I just watched it, he came out of his path, there is no doubt of that, bumped RD's horse which put him into the heels of another, in my opinion 30 days is light.

Here's a bunch of 200 lb. guys arguing about how to race ride a horse. C'mon. Douglas himself would probably tell you these things happen once or twice a race and when there are catastrophic incidents such as these they are freak happenings. It sure looked like an accident to me when I saw it on YouTube. It's a dangerous sport. No need to crucify someone for trying to put his horse in position to win.