Who cares for jockeys when they're hurt?

As Ry Eikleberry gained ground on the horse in front of him, he saw it drift away from the rail. His friend and mentor, Scott Stevens, knew he was coming. Stevens' mount was tiring on the lead, and since Eikleberry was riding for the same stable in Friday's sixth race, Stevens edged off the rail to give him enough room to get through.

Desert Dearest had just poked her head in front when Stevens' horse, Sombre, crumpled to the Canterbury Park track. "I was inches away from Scott when he fell," Eikleberry said. "I was scared, because I didn't know how bad he was hurt. I came back to the jocks' room, and I was praying he would walk in any second. Then I heard the helicopter come, and I knew it was pretty bad."

Stevens was airlifted to North Memorial Medical Center, where he remained Monday with two punctured lungs, six broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and two broken collarbones. His injuries are not life-threatening. But they will keep the 49-year-old rider out of the saddle for months, demonstrating how quickly careers can be interrupted -- or even ended -- in this dangerous business.

The toll of Friday's four-horse spill, which also injured riders Paul Nolan and Don Proctor, will make Sunday's fundraiser for the Don MacBeth Memorial Jockey Fund a little more personal than usual. Every summer, tracks across the U.S. designate a day to raise money for injured and disabled jockeys. Canterbury Park has been the leading fundraiser in each of the past nine years, and Stevens' accident provides a stark reminder of how vital the MacBeth Fund is to these fearless men and women.

"To see your friend on the ground underneath you, that scared me the most," said Nolan, who believes his horse ran over Stevens before it stumbled over Sombre and fell. "We live this every day. We know the risks. But the public, until they see it, they maybe don't realize that some pretty bad things can happen. Something like this really brings home the importance of the MacBeth Fund."

Nolan fractured two vertebrae in the accident. He visited Canterbury last Sunday, and he hopes to be riding again by Claiming Crown day on July 24. Proctor, who fractured one vertebra and displaced two others, is aiming to return to racing in about 10 days. Only two of the six horses in the race stayed on their feet; Sombre had a broken leg and was euthanized, while the other horses were not seriously injured.

To underscore the perils of his profession, Nolan often points out that most people don't have an ambulance following them around their workplace, as jockeys do. Previous accidents have left him with three plates in his face, dislocated shoulders, punctured lungs and concussions. He has broken his nose, leg, ankle, foot, shoulder, both collarbones and multiple vertebrae.

Nolan has been assisted by the MacBeth Fund during four or five of his longer recoveries. Since it was founded in 1987, the fund has aided more than 1,000 riders, helping them pay for everything from food and rent to wheelchairs and prosthetics.

Many of its beneficiaries have nowhere else to turn. Race tracks' insurance policies cover medical costs for on-track accidents; Canterbury's $500,000 coverage is generous by industry standards. But few riders have private medical or disability coverage, which is hard to get and prohibitively expensive because of their high-risk jobs.

An accident that left jockey Gary Birzer paralyzed in 2004 led to congressional hearings on jockeys' health and safety. Still, the fractured racing industry hasn't created any reforms, leaving the MacBeth Fund as a critical safety net.

Canterbury Park raised more than $31,000 for the fund last year from fans, horsemen and track officials. This generous and close-knit community already has responded with an outpouring of prayers and concern for Stevens, one of the track's most successful and respected riders. A member of Canterbury's Hall of Fame, Stevens won his 4,000th career race last summer in Shakopee and is known for his integrity, work ethic and selflessness.

Stevens has proven his competitive mettle through nearly 20 years at Canterbury, with 881 victories in a track-record 5,706 starts in thoroughbred races. He has also fought back from serious injuries before, including a broken pelvis.

By making a MacBeth Fund donation Sunday, Canterbury's fans can let him know he is not riding this race alone. "On MacBeth Day, the riders in Minnesota really know how much they're appreciated," Nolan said. "That really means a lot to all of us."

Rachel Blount • rblount@startribune.com