A Thoroughbred owner who was seriously injured in a collision with a horse at Emerald Downs is improving at a Seattle hospital.

Tony Schiro, a 69-year-old licensed owner, suffered a broken hip and femur and is scheduled for reconstructive surgery, according to media reports.

KING 5 reported Sunday that Schiro was alert and talking to friends at Harborview Medical Center, where he was airlifted to after the accident.

Schiro was injured in a freak, chain reaction incident near the paddock area prior to the third race in Saturday’s afternoon card at the Auburn track.

Prior to the race, while heading up the ramp that connects the paddock to the racetrack, Cahill’s Ride and Wiley Witch reared up and unseated their jockeys. The 3-year-old fillies then veered left and ran full speed up the horse path adjacent to the track, all the way to the stable area, where Cahill’s Ride collided with Schiro.

Wiley Witch, who arrived in the stables ahead of Cahill’s Ride, sustained multiple injuries after colliding with a tree, and was euthanized.

A.L. Gutierrez, the jockey thrown off Cahill’s Ride, escaped injury, while Leonel Camacho-Flores, the jockey on Wiley Witch, Flores was taken to Auburn Regional Medical Center where he was released after treatment for superficial scrapes and abrasions.

Cahill’s Ride sustained only minor injuries and was back in the barn of trainer Dan Markle.

The third race, reduced to a four-horse field, went off at 3:41 p.m., 23 minutes late, and was won by Chilsey and jockey Javier Matias.

The Valley Regional Fire Authority was dispatched to assist King County Medics at the track.