The plate in Ruben Fuentes' neck spans several vertebrae, holding six bones in place. Surgeons used 12 screws to attach it during a six-hour procedure. His collarbone was broken, too, and he had a deep cut on his head.
Serious injuries, to be sure. But for a jockey like Fuentes, who was hurt in a horrific racing accident last month at Canterbury Park, it's all a matter of perspective.
"That was it, thank God," he said. "I feel great. I was lucky."
Though Fuentes won't return to Canterbury on horseback this summer, he will be back at the Shakopee track Saturday for a fundraiser that is now even closer to his heart. During a nine-race card, the track will host a silent auction, raffle and other activities to benefit the Leg Up Fund, which gives financial support to jockeys who are injured at Canterbury Park.
Jockeys are paid only when they ride, which can create financial hardship during long injury layoffs. Fuentes is among Canterbury riders who donate $1 per mount to the fund. Happy to put money in, he hoped to never be on the receiving end, but he said the assistance has been a blessing.
Established in 2014, the fund has helped Fuentes, 24, pay bills while he recovers from the June 23 accident. He said he is healing quickly with little pain, and he expects to begin physical therapy in two or three weeks. According to Fuentes, doctors have predicted he could get back on a horse in six to eight months.
In the meantime, he has been watching Canterbury's races via computer in Eden Prairie, where he lives during the Minnesota racing season. But he's aching to return to the sound and the smell and the vibrant life of the racetrack, his one true home.
"It's really hard not to be riding," said Fuentes, who was sixth in the jockey standings with 12 victories at the time of the accident. "I miss everything about it: getting on the horses, going out in the morning, being around the people. I love everything about this sport. I can't wait to be back."
It requires that kind of love to counter the danger of Fuentes' profession. When a small human pilots a 1,000-pound horse around an oval, reaching speeds up to 35 miles per hour, risk shadows them with every step.
Before his accident, Fuentes didn't notice anything amiss with Malintent, his mount in a 6 ½-furlong sprint. The gelding raced willingly and was among the leaders turning for home. He suddenly went down, hurling Fuentes to the dirt.
Fuentes believes he briefly lost consciousness on impact. His helmet broke, and the metal plate inside it gashed his head. Another horse — Hpnotiq Rhythm, ridden by Roimes Chirinos — fell over Malintent, adding to the chaos.
Malintent, who suffered a non-recoverable injury to a front leg, was euthanized. Hpnotiq Rhythm and Chirinos were not seriously injured.
"When a horse is hurting or something's bothering him, usually he stops running," Fuentes said. "That didn't happen. This was like any other race, until he fell."
Initially, Fuentes was believed to have a fractured skull, but he said the cut was his only head injury. He spent a week in the hospital, grateful to have full movement in his limbs, and said he's had little pain through the entire ordeal.
Saturday, Fuentes will watch his brother Luis — another top Canterbury rider — continue to battle Harry Hernandez for first place in the track's jockey standings. When the Canterbury season ends, he will return to his hometown of El Paso, Texas to continue his recovery.
By that time, he wants to be racing full speed toward the place where he is happiest: in the saddle.
"I have to wear the neck brace for three months," Fuentes said. "I feel like once I'm out of it, it won't take too much time to get back into shape. I want to be back as soon as I can."
