Two horses, jockeys escape serious injury in spill at Los Alamitos

Fans watch the Deputed Testimony Handicap horse race where Fish Whistler (5) with Trevor McCarthy aboard heads to the finish line where he won before the 140th Preakness Stakes horse race at Pimlico Race Course, Saturday, May 16, 2015, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)
Trevor McCarthy guides Fish Whistler to victory in the Deputed Testimony Handicap at Pimlico Race Course in 2015. McCarthy was part of a two-horse spill at Los Alamitos on Sunday. (Garry Jones / Associated Press)

A scary spill that sent two jockeys and their horses to the ground at Los Alamitos on Sunday ended with all having non-life-threatening injuries.

During a five-furlong race for Cal-bred maidens, Sherlock, ridden by Alexis Centeno, made a sharp move to the inside from the outside post shortly after the break and collided with Creative Peak, ridden by Trevor McCarthy, along the rail.

Creative Peak went in the air and landed on his back as Sherlock also went to the ground. Both jockeys were unseated and avoided being hit by trailing horses. Sherlock got up, jumped the inside rail and ran across the infield, jumping the rail again onto the racing surface. Both horses were corralled by outriders and walked off the course, seemingly without significant injuries.

McCarthy, who recently came to Southern California from New York, was standing outside the ambulance after the incident while Centeno was placed on a backboard but was conscious and moving all extremities. He flashed a thumbs-up to everyone. Both were transported to Long Beach Memorial Hospital for precautionary X-rays. They were treated and released from the hospital.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.