BALTIMORE -- Jockey Rick Wilson was in critical condition Sunday with head injuries after falling from his horse at Pimlico a day earlier, but his agent said reports on the rider were encouraging.

Rick Wilson flipped head over heels to the ground after his mount, Advance to Go, stumbled out of the gate during the second race on Saturday, track spokesman Mike Gathagan said. Wilson was motionless, face down, as the field rounded the first turn.

John Salzman Jr., Wilson's agent, said Sunday that the jockey was awake and responsive.

"He is not over the hump yet, but the nurse told me he is doing remarkably well," Salzman said in a statement. "Rick's family wants to thank everyone for their concerns."

The 50-year-old rider was placed on his back on a stretcher after the accident. A state police helicopter landed on the backstretch, and Wilson was taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center.

The hospital wouldn't elaborate on his health apart from giving his condition.

After Wilson's fall, the starting gate crew and track outriders signaled the other riders to pull up their mounts at the head of the lane, and the race was ruled "no contest" by the stewards.

Wilson ranks 20th on the career wins list with 4,939 victories. He has seven classic mounts on his resume, including five mounts in the Preakness at Pimlico. He missed a little more than a year after a broken right leg on October 12, 2001.