Delaware Valet Injured, Four Races Canceled

Blood-Horse

Upset with the level of care after a valet was seriously injured in the paddock at Delaware Park Tuesday, Aug. 18, jockeys took off their mounts, forcing cancellation of the final four races.

The race cancellations followed a paddock accident in which valet William Hollick, a former jockey at Delaware, was severely injured. According to Robert Colton, director of the Delaware Park Jockeys Association, Hollick wasn’t transported to a hospital for nearly 35 minutes after the incident despite EMTs being at the track. Full details on what happened in the accident were not immediately clear.

Colton, who was with his friend Hollick at a hospital Tuesday evening, said the valet suffered broken ribs on both sides, an inflamed lung on one side, a partially collapsed lung on the other side, a broken shoulder blade on one side, and a broken collarbone on the other.

“We’re not exactly sure why there was such a breakdown on the ambulance procedures,” Colton said. “They were unable to transport him, which is unacceptable.”

A call from Blood-Horse to the Delaware Park executive offices Tuesday evening was not immediately returned.

Colton said he’s not sure why track EMTs didn’t transport Hollick. Colton said Hollick’s wife, who had been working on the backstretch, made her way to the paddock and ultimately called in an ambulance which transported Hollick to a hospital.

“It was a distressing and upsetting time for the jockeys and the valets because he was in considerable pain; collapsed lung, broken ribs on both sides; in excruciating pain and he laid there for almost 35 minutes,” Colton said. “They went out and raced and he was still lying there. It’s completely unacceptable. We have to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Colton said the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission is scheduled to meet Wednesday morning, Aug. 19, before a scheduled race day. He expects actions to be taken to resolve the safety concerns. Colton said Delaware Park and state regulators have always made safety a priority, but he believes several mistakes occurred Tuesday resulting in Hollick suffering for an extended time.

“I have complete confidence in this commission and Delaware Park and I think this will be resolved,” Colton said. “They put safety first. I’m just shocked this happened. They’re very safety conscious.”

Colton said he met with riders and valets after the incident, informed them of what he knew, told them he’d support any decision they made on racing the rest of the day, then left the room to let them make their decision, which was not to ride. Races five through eight were canceled.

“In light of seeing one of their friends and co-workers lying there and screaming in pain for 35 minutes, they were in no mood to go back out and ride,” Colton said.