JC / Railbird

Suffolk Downs Archive

Lapensee Dies From Injuries

Jockey Michel Lapensee died at Massachusetts General Hospital late Friday night from injuries he sustained in an accident during last Monday’s ninth race at Suffolk Downs, in which the six-year-old gelding Mecke’s Money broke down on the far turn, throwing the rider. The 58-year-old Lapensee was a regular on the New England circuit for 30 years, winning 2,678 races out of more than 20,000 starts. He was honored with a moment of silence at the beginning of Suffolk’s Saturday card. In response to the accident, the racetrack has upgraded the track ambulance crew to include a paramedic, a move that won praise from Jockeys’ Guild representative Darrell Haire: “Suffolk Downs is doing the right thing.”
A funeral mass for Lapensee will be held at St. Edward’s Church in Providence on November 3 at 11 a.m. More information can be found on the Suffolk Downs news page.

Posted in Suffolk Downs on October 30, 2005

Lapensee in Critical Condition

Suffolk Downs jockey Michel Lapensee is in a coma. The 58-year-old rider sustained serious injuries when his mount in Monday’s ninth race, Mecke’s Money, broke down on the far turn. He was immediately transported to Massachusetts General Hospital for surgery and is listed in critical condition with head and spinal cord injuries. Mecke’s Money, a six-year-old gelding, suffered a compound fracture of his left cannon bone and was euthanized. This is the second time this meet Lapensee has had the misfortune of an accident. In a similar incident in May, Lapensee’s mount Explorationist also broke down on the far turn, throwing the rider, who escaped injury then.

Posted in Suffolk Downs on October 25, 2005

Wednesday Notes

Suffolk Downs has added four stakes races to the schedule for the remainder of the meet. The Louise Kimball will be run on October 8, followed by the John Kirby on October 22, and the Amelia Peabody on November 5. The Norman Hall is scheduled for the meet’s final Saturday, November 19. The added races will each have a $40,000 purse and are restricted to Massachusetts-bred thoroughbreds.
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NYRA president Charles Hayward told a state oversight committee that the organization would “go bust” in November unless it was allowed to sell property near Aqueduct (Newsday).
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No surprise here: “Rep. Ed Whitfield of Kentucky, whose subcommittee is investigating the Jockeys’ Guild, said on Monday night that he doubts the guild has fully complied with a subpoena issued two weeks ago that asks the guild to provide financial documents by Oct. 3″ (Daily Racing Form).

Posted in Suffolk Downs on October 5, 2005