Jockey Scott Stevens remains in intensive care with severe injuries July 3 after a fall the previous night that caused a four-horse accident in the sixth race at Canterbury Park.
Track spokesman Jeff Maday said the 49-year-old Stevens, the brother of Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens, punctured both lungs, fractured ribs, and injured his back in the fall, but is expected to fully recover. He is at North Memorial Center Hospital in Robbinsdale, Minn., after being airlifted from the track by helicopter. It was the first time in Canterbury's 25-year history that a helicopter was used to transport an injured rider.
Jockeys Paul Nolan and Don Proctor also suffered back injuries and were hospitalized, Maday said. Nolan was released July 3, he reported.
A fourth jockey, Dean Butler, suffered minor injuries and was able to walk away from the accident. He rode his scheduled mounts July 3.
Steven's mount, Sombre was leading the field in a $7,500 claiming race for fillies and mares when she broke down at the quarter pole and threw her rider. Brook Ghazer, ridden by Nolan, couldn't avoid the fallen Sombre and threw her rider after stumbling over Sombre. Black Ruby shied and veered approaching the fallen horses, dropping Proctor. Butler also fell when Run Katster Run stumbled over a fallen horse.
"I've seen riders killed but this almost looked worse because of the domino effect,'' said trainer Bernell Rhone, Butler's father-in-law.
Sombre was euthanized on the track but the other horses were apparently okay. Only two of the six runners completed the six-furlong race.
Stevens, a Hall of Fame rider at Canterbury Park, holds the track's record for most starts with 5,710 and is second in total wins.
He won his 4,000th career race Aug. 9, 2009.