text: Jockey Jose Flores was officially pronounced dead at 12:42 p.m. Thursday, three days after a “sickening” accident in the ninth race at Parx Racing in Bensalem. 
   
   When Flores came out of the starting gate Monday, it was ride No. 28,684 in a career that was among the very best in the history of Pennsylvania horse racing. The jockey, 56, was riding 14-1 shot Love Rules in a 6-furlong race. Just three weeks before, Flores had won a race on Love Rules by 4 lengths. Monday, horse and rider were on the lead when, with absolutely no warning, the horse went down and Flores was off, hitting the ground headfirst. 
   
   Nobody will ever know for sure, but it’s likely that initial shock was the cause of the massive cranial damage that caused his death after he was placed on life support at Aria Frankford Torresdale Hospital. 
   
   “It’s unbelievable, just sickening,” said Scott Lake, the all-time leading trainer at Parx and a man who has known Flores since 1991 when they both getting started at Penn National. “He was just tremendous, a nice guy, always a professional.” 
   
   Flores won 4,650 races in a career that began in 1987. His mounts won more than $64 million. His longtime agent, Dave Yanuzzi, is certain Flores would have been at more than 5,000 wins had he not suffered several serious injuries in the last 3 1/2 years. 
   
   When Yanuzzi asked Flores whether he wanted to keep going after his last previous injury, the jockey told him: “You don’t understand. I love this. What else would I do? Where else would I go?” 
   
   They canceled racing at Parx on Tuesday, but plan to resume Saturday. ||||| Legendary Pennsylvania Jockey Dies After Headfirst Fall ... in Horse Racing Accident 
   
   Legendary Pennsylvania Jockey Dies After Headfirst Fall in Horse Racing Accident 
   
   Breaking News 
   
   Jose Flores, a Pennsylvanian jockey who earned $64 MIL in his storied career, is dead at 57 after a headfirst fall during a race Monday in Philly. 
   
   Flores suffered major head and spine injuries as a result of the accident ... and was pulled off life support on Thursday. 
   
   The tragic incident happened Monday at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pennsylvania ... when Jose's horse, Love Rules, went down -- launching him from his saddle. 
   
   Flores had compiled 4,650 wins across 3 decades in the sport ... and was reportedly going for the magic number of 5,000. 
   
   Jose is the 157th North American rider to die from a horse-racing accident since 1940. 
   
   He leaves behind a wife and 3 sons. RIP. ||||| In this Sept. 19, 2015 photo, provided by Equi-Photo, jockey Jose Flores poses at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa. Flores, 56, who was among the best jockeys in Pennsylvania history, died Thursday, March... (Associated Press) 
   
   In this Sept. 19, 2015 photo, provided by Equi-Photo, jockey Jose Flores poses at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa. Flores, 56, who was among the best jockeys in Pennsylvania history, died Thursday, March 22, 2018, of injuries suffered in a racing accident, Parx Racing said in a statement. Flores was racing... (Associated Press) 
   
   In this Sept. 19, 2015 photo, provided by Equi-Photo, jockey Jose Flores poses at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa. Flores, 56, who was among the best jockeys in Pennsylvania history, died Thursday, March 22, 2018, of injuries suffered in a racing accident, Parx Racing said in a statement. Flores was racing... (Associated Press) In this Sept. 19, 2015 photo, provided by Equi-Photo, jockey Jose Flores poses at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa. Flores, 56, who was among the best jockeys in Pennsylvania history, died Thursday, March... (Associated Press) 
   
   PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A renowned jockey who was among the best in Pennsylvania history died Thursday of injuries suffered in a racing accident. 
   
   Parx Racing announced the death of Jose Flores, 56, who was racing Monday at the suburban Philadelphia track when his horse went down and Flores was thrown off. The jockey hit the ground headfirst and suffered a massive trauma. 
   
   He was removed from life support Thursday afternoon. 
   
   Flores won 4,650 races in a career that spanned more than three decades. He was the top career earner at Parx, formerly known as Philadelphia Park. 
   
   "It's unbelievable, just sickening," Scott Lake, the top trainer at Parx, who has known Flores since 1991, told The Philadelphia Inquirer. "He was just tremendous, a nice guy, always a professional." 
   
   Flores' mounts earned $64 million in nearly 29,000 career starts, according to the Equibase thoroughbred database. 
   
   Parx called Flores an "outstanding jockey" and expressed condolences to his family. 
   
   The Jockeys' Guild said Flores is the 157th jockey to die in a racing accident in unofficial records going back to 1940. The group said that before Flores, it had no record of a jockey ever being killed in an accident at a Pennsylvania track.
target: – A renowned jockey who was among the best in Pennsylvania history died Thursday of injuries suffered in a racing accident, the AP reports. Parx Racing announced the death of Jose Flores, 56, who was racing Monday at the suburban Philadelphia track when his horse went down and Flores was thrown off. The jockey hit the ground headfirst and suffered a massive trauma. He was removed from life support Thursday afternoon. Flores won 4,650 races in a career that spanned more than three decades. He was the top career earner at Parx, formerly known as Philadelphia Park. TMZ calls him "legendary." "It's unbelievable, just sickening," Scott Lake, the top trainer at Parx, who has known Flores since 1991, told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "He was just tremendous, a nice guy, always a professional." Flores' mounts earned $64 million in nearly 29,000 career starts, according to the Equibase thoroughbred database. Parx called Flores an "outstanding jockey" and expressed condolences to his family. The Jockeys' Guild said Flores is the 157th jockey to die in a racing accident in unofficial records going back to 1940. The group said that before Flores, it had no record of a jockey ever being killed in an accident at a Pennsylvania track. The Inquirer says there was "absolutely no warning" before the horse, Love Rules, went down. Flores is survived by a wife and three sons.