Stevens looking at long road to recovery

SHAKOPEE, Minn. - Canterbury Park jockey Scott Stevens, thrown to the ground when his mount broke a leg during the sixth race Friday night, is still in the intensive care unit at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale, Minn., but his condition has been upgraded from critical to stable condition.

His agent, Chad Anderson, said Sunday that Stevens will need at least six months to recover from his injuries.

Stevens, 49, sustained six broken ribs, punctured both of his lungs, broke both sides of his collarbone, and has a lacerated spleen, according to Anderson. But he has feeling and movement in all of his limbs.

"He's still beat up pretty badly," Anderson said. "The doctor told him that 90 percent of people with these injuries would be in a life-threatening state. He is extremely lucky to be alive."

Stevens's mount, Sombre, was euthanized on the track due to the leg fracture.

Jockeys Paul Nolan and Don Proctor also were injured when they fell off their horses trying to avoid Stevens and his mount.

Proctor on Sunday said he has a fractured vertebra in his lower back and displaced his tailbone, and doctors think he may have ligament tears in his right shoulder.

"At this point none of the back injuries require surgery," he said. "As far as my shoulder goes, it's kind of wait and see, once the inflammation settles down."

Proctor said he was going home to Wyoming to rest for a week and a half.

Nolan also has a fractured vertebra, said his agent, Chuck Costanzo, and is expected to be out for about 2 1/2 weeks.

"Paul is doing really well, Costanzo said. "He's a little stiff, but that has to be expected."

On Friday, Sombre broke down while on the lead just before the quarter pole. Nolan's mount, Brook Ghazer, stumbled over her, throwing Nolan. Brook Ghazer appeared to be okay after the spill and returned to her barn.

Proctor's mount, Black Ruby, tried to veer to the outside to avoid the fallen horses, but Proctor could not hold on and fell. Black Ruby also was returned to her stable.

Jockey Dean Butler, aboard Run Katster Run, also fell but walked off under his own power. He rode his remaining mount in the seventh race Friday.

Only two of the six starters in the $7,500 claiming sprint completed the course.

Stevens, the older brother of retired Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens, holds the Canterbury record for most starts (5,710), and is just seven wins behind Derek Bell, the all-time winningest jockey in track history.