EMOTIONAL SEND-OFF FOR GONZALEZ AT FAIRPLEX.

Byline: Frank C. Girardot Staff Writer

Jockey J.C. Gonzalez, who was killed Thursday at Fairplex Park, received a moving and emotional send-off Friday from his family and friends who gathered in the winner's circle after the third race.

The traditional farewell included a moment of silence followed by a trumpeted version of ``Amazing Grace.''

``We've suffered a great loss,'' track announcer Trevor Denman said. ``J.C. Gonzalez was a fine young jockey on the rise.''

Service Term, the horse that won the third race Friday, would have been ridden by Gonzalez had he been alive.

The fair's leading rider in 1998, Gonzalez, 23, was killed in the fifth race Thursday when his horse broke both front legs coming around the track's final turn in the 1 1/16-mile race. After colliding with Danny Sorenson's horse, Accomodator, Gonzalez hurtled to the right and was trampled to death by oncoming horses.

Funeral services will be held Monday at Lorenzen Mortuary, 19300 Sherman Way, Reseda, at a time to be determined. Fairplex has set up the J.C. Gonzalez Memorial Fund to help pay for the burial.

Among those attending Friday's tribute were Gonzalez's fiancee, Elena Aquino, and her family.

Aquino carried a silver-framed photo of the rider in the winner's circle at Los Alamitos from earlier this year. The top of the frame had a simple black ribbon tied into a bow, with the initials J.C. painted on the end. Taped to the bottom of the frame was a picture of Gonzalez wearing a straw cowboy hat and a menacing scowl.

``That was his tough-guy picture,'' said Elena's sister, Angela Aquino. ``He wanted everyone to think he was a tough guy. But he was always a sweetheart and a nice guy.''

Following the accident, all racing at the park was suspended Thursday.

Later, at a heated meeting between jockeys and state racing officials, several concerns were aired about the quality of medical care at the fair. No one blamed poor medical care for Gonzalez's death, but several jockeys complained about the track ambulance staff.

Event Medical Services, which maintains a 25-bed first-aid station at the park, owns and operates the two ambulances that follow jockeys in each race. Emergency medical technicians from the company were on hand following the accident.

Schaefer Ambulance, which handles medical duties at the Pomona drag strip, responded with the Los Angeles County Fire Department to the track's first-aid station. They did not go on the horse race track Thursday, officials said.

After several more meetings between jockeys and representatives of the California Horse Racing Board, EMS and Fairplex Friday morning, many of the medical-care issues at Fairplex were settled, officials said.

``The jockeys received assurances that the very best medical care would be on hand for future races,'' said Mike Marten, a spokesman for the CHRB. ``What may have happened here in the past won't happen in the future.''