Jockey Ruben Fuentes hurt, horse euthanized in Canterbury Park racing accident

Jockey Ruben Fuentes sustained multiple injuries Thursday when his horse, Malintent, went down in the fifth race at Canterbury Park and was euthanized after a leg injury.

Fuentes, 24, was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center because of injuries to his skull, vertebrae and collarbone, and was able to move all limbs, a Canterbury spokesman said. A Facebook post from Fuentes' girlfriend, Sydni Thompson, said he was in stable condition with surgery scheduled for Monday.

The accident happened in Thursday's fifth race, a 6½-furlong sprint for $10,000 claimers. Malintent, a 3-year-old gelding trained by Ronald Westermann, was among the leaders as the horses rounded the final turn. When Malintent suddenly went down, Fuentes was thrown forward over the horse's head, and the horse appeared to roll on him.

Dr. Lynn Hovda, chief veterinarian for the Minnesota Racing Commission, said Malintent suffered a non-recoverable injury to his lower front leg. The horse was euthanized on the track, and a complete necropsy will be performed to determine what caused the injury.

Another horse, Hpnotiq Rhythm, was behind Malintent and fell over the downed horse. Jockey Roimes Chirinos was unseated but was not seriously injured. Hpnotiq Rhythm's trainer, Valorie Lund, said her horse has multiple small cuts and scrapes but is otherwise fine.

Fuentes is in his second season at Canterbury Park and is sixth in the jockey standings with 12 victories.

Canterbury Park reported six racing-related equine fatalities during thoroughbred racing in 2021, a rate of 1.53 per 1,000 starts. The national average last year was 1.39 per 1,000 starts, according to figures compiled by The Jockey Club.