Jockey Scott Stevens calls it a career after spill at Turf Paradise

Veteran jockey Scott Stevens, older brother of Hall of Famer Gary Stevens, is calling it a career after a recent spill at Turf Paradise that has left him with a broken C2 vertebrae and other minor injuries. 

Gary Stevens relayed the news Wednesday via a series of social media posts. 

Scott Stevens, 60, was aboard Grey Point in the third race at Turf Paradise on Feb. 24 when he was thrown from his mount shortly after the break. His younger brother noted "he has feeling" and there is no paralysis. However, he "will never ride competitively again.

"He is tougher than anyone I know," Stevens wrote. "He is gonna move on and be fine. Great mentor and person."

Scott Stevens rode in 33,447 races in a career dating back to 1976. He tallied 5,049 wins with purse earnings of more than $43.6 million. In 2019, he was awarded the prestigious George Woolf Award by his fellow jockeys.