Tampa Bay Downs and horse racing enthusiasts in Florida are mourning the loss of an exercise jockey killed Saturday morning.
Exercise cyclist Daniel Quintero, 19, died in a training accident at the facility, according to Tampa Bay Downs social media accounts.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office told FOX that 13 deputies were called to the race track to receive reports of a man down around 7 a.m., and paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
“The entire racetrack community extends its condolences to his family and friends,” a Facebook post from Tampa Bay Downs read. Many people who reacted questioned why the race track continued to hold races on Saturday.
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Jockeys and their valets observe a minute’s silence in honor of 19-year-old exercise cyclist Daniel Quintero, who died this morning in a training accident.
(Tampa Bay Downs)
“The 19-year-old’s horse shot the wrong way around the track, colliding with an oncoming canter traveling counter-clockwise,” the Racing Post said. The working jockey and the aspiring jockey were reportedly killed instantly on impact. Both the horse and the other rider were physically unharmed.
“Daniel was a smart young man,” Tampa Bay Downs pony jockey Sydney Fried told the British tabloid. “He was always paying attention to everything around him. He never hesitated to ask questions and once he got the answer, he learned very quickly.”
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Tampa Bay Downs observed a minute of silence at 12:20 p.m. in Quintero’s honor.
Established in 1926, Tampa Bay Downs Facebook says it’s the only thoroughbred racetrack on Florida’s west coast. The current season of live racing runs through May 6, 2023.
