Pennsylvania Racetrack Riders Require Surgery After Horses Fall During Race

Posted on: September 29, 2021, 04:13h. 

Last updated on: September 29, 2021, 04:44h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More

Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

Two horse riders suffered injuries Tuesday during a race at Pennsylvania’s Meadows Racetrack & Casino. Both required treatment at a local hospital.

The incident took place Tuesday afternoon in Washington, Pa. after a horse made a bad step near the track’s far turn, WTAE, a local TV station, reported. The horse then fell on the track. As a result, a second horse also tripped and fell, WTAE said. That led to the two men getting injured.

Chris Shaw was transported to Pittsburgh’s Allegheny General Hospital following the incident. He suffered a compound fracture of the humerus and elbow. He will require surgery later today to fix it.

Shaw also has a broken nose, facial fractures, and a dissection of the carotid artery. In addition, he has compound factures on his back and a bruise on his lung. But he reportedly was able to move his extremities, a Facebook post reported.

The second rider, James Dodson, apparently suffered a broken collar bone. He will undergo surgery later this week, the track said in the post. Dodson was able to go home after a medical exam.

The specific condition of the horses was not immediately known. “We have all of [the] horses taken care of at this time,” a Wednesday post on the track’s Facebook site revealed.

In another Facebook post, the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association said they offered, “Prayers and well wishes for a speedy recovery.” The Meadows Racetrack & Casino is operated by Penn National Gaming.

Santa Anita Horse Deaths

In an unrelated incident, in December 2019, Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced her office would not file any criminal charges following more than three dozen horse deaths that occurred at California’s Santa Anita Park.

A task force could not find evidence to pursue cases of animal cruelty or other unlawful activity against owners, trainers, or jockeys. The task force also found no evidence to back claims that track officials coerced trainers and jockeys into racing when concerns were raised about weather or track conditions.

Several Charges in Court Case

Previously, psychiatrist Nabil Jabbour, 70, pleaded guilty in 2019 to three counts of distribution of buprenorphine, a controlled substance, outside the usual course of professional practice, and one count each of health care fraud and money laundering. The charges stem from illicit activity allegedly taking place at Meadows Casino Racetrack Hotel.

Last December, he was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison. He owes more than $69,000 in gambling debts.

During his sentencing, Jabbour was ordered to pay a $75,000 fine and restitution to Medicare and the Pennsylvania Medicaid Program.

Jabbour admitted to using the Meadows to launder ill-gotten cash he received for unlawfully distributing buprenorphine. Buprenorphine is used to treat opioid addictions. It is also a pain reliever.