Francisco Arrieta has been suspended for 15 days by Colonial Downs stewards following an incident on July 24 in a maiden turf sprint where his horse, Montador, shut off Tyler Conner’s mount, Stanza, causing Conner to fall and sustain serious spinal injuries. The stewards described Arrieta’s riding as “extremely careless.” Montador was disqualified and placed last in the race, which led to the cancellation of the rest of the day’s card. Conner suffered a broken nose and a fractured C1 vertebra, resulting in a central cord injury, but doctors remain optimistic about his recovery.

Tyler Conner, a successful jockey with over 1,200 wins and $29 million in earnings, is currently in intensive care but has shown progress, including assisted walking and regaining some use of his arms. His agent reported that Conner remains positive and determined despite the slow recovery of his upper body. Francisco Arrieta, who has been riding in the U.S. since 2012 with over 1,000 wins, will serve his suspension from August 2 to 16.