Trot Insider has learned that driver Gilles Barrieau has been sidelined after an accident before Saturday's Governor's Plate Final at Red Shores Summerside.
Reports indicate that Barrieau was unseated from the racebike of Burn Out Hanover heading for post parade, allowing the horse to run loose around the Summerside half-mile oval before being collared. The horse was scratched from the race as a precaution.
Barrieau had a brief stay in hospital after suffering a fractured vertebrae in his lower lumbar area. According to Barrieau's wife, Kelly, he'll be out of action for a couple of weeks as a result of the injury and is now resting at home.
One of the Maritimes' most consistent and prolific horsemen, Barrieau bosts 4,480 career victories along with more than $9 million in earnings. In the last 15 years, Barrieau has finished the season with a UDRS better than 0.400 on 13 occasions while besting 0.400 as a trainer for 12 of those campaigns.