McCarron OK After Getting Kicked

DEL MAR — After pulling up heavily favored Helmsman in the stretch when he felt the horse take a bad step, jockey Chris McCarron was kicked by the horse Wednesday. He was not seriously injured.

McCarron had dismounted beyond the finish line of the 1 1/16-mile turf race when he was kicked just above his left knee. He went down in obvious pain, the area swelled immediately and he was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, where X-rays proved negative and he was released.

Helmsman was said to be fine. The 5-year-old son of El Gran Senor was originally supposed to go to Emerald Downs in Washington on Sunday for the $200,000 Longacres Mile but ran in the $60,000 allowance Wednesday instead.

With McCarron off his final two mounts of the day, Laffit Pincay Jr. picked up the ride on Batoile and the 3-year-old Batonnier gelding scored a 5-1 upset in the $89,600 Real Good Deal Stakes.