Tampa Bay Downs and Florida horse racing fans mourn an exercise rider who died early on Saturday.
According to Tampa Bay Downs’ social media pages, exercise rider Daniel Quintero, 19, passed away in a training accident at the facility.
Around 7 a.m., a man was reported to be unconscious at the racecourse, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Paramedics declared him dead at the site.
In a Facebook post from Tampa Bay Downs, the racetrack expressed its sympathies to the man’s family and friends. Why the racecourse held races on Saturday was a topic of much discussion.
According to Racing Post, the horse of the 19-year-old “blasted the wrong way around the track, colliding with an approaching galloper running counter-clockwise.” According to reports, the hit instantly killed the job rider and prospective jockey. The horse and the other rider were unhurt physically.
Daniel was a bright young man, according to Tampa Bay Downs pony rider Sydney Fried, who spoke to a British tabloid. “He was always observant of everything going on around him. He was always willing to ask questions, and once he had an answer, he picked up new information quickly.”
At 12:20 PM, the Tampa Bay Downs held a minute of silence in memory of Quintero.
The only thoroughbred racecourse on Florida’s west coast, according to Tampa Bay Downs Facebook, was founded in 1926.
Through May 6, 2023, there will be live racing.
