Francisco Leandro will not race at La Plata until jockeys are provided with proper coverage

The Brazilian, leader of the standings, made his decision after the troubles his colleague Juan I. Pintos suffered following a fall there last Sunday

Francisco Leandro expressed his solidarity with Juan I. Pintos and made his voice heard / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

LA PLATA – For a long time now, the attention provided to jockeys in the event of an accident at La Plata has been a complete mess. Everyone still remembers the images from a few months ago when Elías Martínez was treated under the dim light of cell phones after a fall just past the finish line, bleeding from a wound while the medical staff was unsure of what to do or which hospital to take him to.

This past Sunday, when Exceptionnel (Forge) crashed headfirst into the track after stepping on the right side in the eighth race, Juan Ignacio Pintos began suffering immense pain. With a fractured hip, among several other injuries from the impact, the jockey was transferred to three hospitals before being attended to, enduring excruciating pain in a situation that was captured on video by colleagues who accompanied him and shared it on social media.

The issue gained further attention on Monday, when Francisco Leandro, leader of the jockey standings and a major figure in the sport in recent years, announced that he would no longer compete at La Plata until the situation is addressed. He directly appealed to the track’s management, stating, “All we want is a place where we can be treated when we have an accident.”

Leandrinho filmed a video that he distributed to the media to express his stance, demonstrating his commitment to the distress his colleague was enduring. “I could pay for private insurance, keep racing, and go on like nothing happened, but this can’t continue; it needs to be fixed, and that’s why I made the decision. Many jockeys don’t have that option,” he shared with Turf Diario a little earlier.

The decision is a significant one, considering that good jockeys bring in wagers, and racetracks rely on betting revenue. That said, having the best in the field, regardless of the industry, always enhances any event.

According to reports, other colleagues of Francisco Leandro may follow his lead in solidarity, and it remains to be seen what happens this Thursday when racing resumes at La Plata, where management has consistently failed, not to mention the dismal performance of the unions. The fact that a racetrack doesn’t have a designated place to treat a jockey if they are injured is a deeply shameful act of human negligence. This is happening at La Plata. A disgrace.