Rosario Montanez has back surgery after spill at Laurel

Jockey Rosario Montanez has undergone surgery after sustaining several fractures in his back when he was thrown from his mount during a race Friday at Laurel Park in Maryland.

Montanez was unseated when his mount in the first race, Hendaya, clipped heels leaving the backstretch, according to a chart of the race, which was run on turf. Montanez underwent surgery on Saturday at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore to treat the fractures, according to Laurel.

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A fundraising effort on social media to help Montanez with his medical expenses was launched on Saturday and reached its goal of $20,000 by Sunday afternoon, according to trainer Brittany Russell, who launched the campaign. Montanez’s fiancée, Chloe LeBarre, works in Russell’s barn.

Montanez, who has suffered two critical injuries during his career, was the runner-up in 2011 in Eclipse Award voting for top apprentice jockey. He has seven wins from 77 mounts this year, and 609 career wins with $18.8 million in purse earnings.