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Officials from Santa Anita have said in statement that "a 3-year-old gelding named See and Sage broke free from his handler in the track’s walking ring and ran toward an opening guarded by John Shear," reports CBS Local.
Shear, a 90-year-old paddock guard and former jockey who worked at the Southern California thoroughbred track for almost 50 years, is being hailed a hero for jumping between the runaway horse and the young girl, injuring himself, but leaving the 9-year-old unharmed.
According to a witness, the horse was charging at full speed when the animal made contact with John Shear's head. Shear was reportedly conscious and responsive when he taken to the hospital. His exact injuries were unclear. Though unharmed, the girl was reportedly crying and appeared to be distraught after the incident. Shear was recovering Saturday night at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, notes CBS Local.