Jockey Gallyn Mitchell doing well after surgery

Published 6:20 pm Thursday, August 9, 2012

According to Denise Mitchell, wife and agent of Gallyn Mitchell, the track’s all-time leading rider underwent successful surgery Wednesday to repair a fractured right hand and is resting comfortably at home.

“Gallyn really did super during the surgery,” she said. “The procedure was supposed to take more than 90 minutes, and the doctors were done in 30. You know Gallyn’s personality, he had the doctors laughing the whole time.”

To stabilize Gallyn’s hand, Denise Mitchell said the doctors inserted both pins and wires, which he can have removed in approximately six weeks.

Gallyn sustained the injury Sunday as horses were loading for the start of the $50,000 Angie C Stakes. Mitchell’s mount, Blueberry Smoothie, reared up, tossed the jockey to the ground, and then stepped on his hand. A 2-year-old filly by Giant’s Causeway, Blueberry Smoothie changed riders to Leslie Mawing and finished second to stable mate Goin to the Window.