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‘You Just Have To Stay Positive’: Jockey Rosario Montanez Launches Comeback

Journeyman rider Rosario Montanez launched his comeback Sunday at Laurel Park in Maryland, more than 1 ½ years after being involved in a spill that required surgery to repair multiple back fractures and rehabilitation for brain injury.

Montanez, a 31-year-old native of San Diego, pressed the pace before finishing sixth on A.R.D. Racing Stables' first-time starter Holy Synchronicity in Race 5, a waiver maiden claimer for 3-year-olds sprinting 5 ½ furlongs. The Holy Boss gelding is trained by Rodolfo Sanchez-Salomon.

“I'm very thankful to Rudy Sanchez-Salomon and his whole team and everybody behind him. I'm very blessed that he gave me an opportunity and he believes in me,” Montanez said. “We really had high expectations on the horse and not to take anything away from him but he just got tired. He really ran his race.

“Once I got in the gate, I felt more relaxed. I didn't have any pressure. I just felt like I was at home. I felt like I was laying on the couch in my living room,” he added. “I was relaxed and very pleased to be back. After so many obstacles, I'm very blessed that I was able to overcome all of them. I'm very thankful to all the doctors and nurses and all the staff that helped me make it back.”

It was the first race for Montanez, a finalist for the 2011 Eclipse Award as champion apprentice, since being unseated when his mount, 4-year-old filly Hendaya, clipped heels and fell leaving the backstretch of a 5 ½-furlong turf sprint July 17, 2020 at Laurel.

Represented by agent John Santagata, Montanez underwent surgery the next day at R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

Laurel-based trainer Brittany Russell launched a GoFundMe campaign the day after the accident to raise money for medical and general living expenses for Montanez. An initial goal of $25,000 was surpassed in less than 24 hours, and a second goal of $30,000 was reached days later. The total stands at $40,115.

“I'm very thankful and blessed for everything that Brittany did and everybody that donated,” Montanez said. “It was a very difficult road. When you come from where I come from, from the bottom, and you're trying to build yourself up, there's no going back. You can only go forward.

“I have been through tough situations in life and I've been blessed to overcome so many things,” he added. “Mentally it is challenging to any rider who gets injured and goes through what I had to go through. You just have to stay positive. It is frustrating at times, but I always believed in myself and I'm very blessed to everyone that helped me get to the point that I am.”

It is the second time Montanez has come back from a lengthy absence due to injury. He missed 20 months after suffering a concussion, fractured rib and pelvis and head lacerations that required a plate to be surgically inserted in his face after a July 2014 spill at Saratoga.

A career winner of 609 races and more than $18.8 million in purse earnings since 2010, Montanez won 77 races in 2020 riding primarily in Maryland. A multiple stakes-winning jockey, he was aboard Happy Lantern for Hall of Fame trainer King Leatherbury's 6,500^th career victory Sept. 22, 2018, at Laurel.

Montanez was cleared to get on horses in late October and began galloping at historic Pimlico Race Course, the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., and Laurel Park, for trainers Miguel Vera, Kelly Rubley, Phil Schoenthal, Cal Lynch and others.

“They wanted me to start easily so I took my time and I did every procedure that the doctors wanted me to go through. I didn't rush anything. I said whatever's meant to be will always find a way,” Montanez said. “I was getting on horses every single day for the last 3 ½ months. I got my feet underneath me and I got a foundation to make the comeback and I feel very positive. I understand that I need to go out here and prove that I can still do it and after this ride, I really believe people shouldn't' question whether I can do it or not. I believe it and I hope everyone believes that I can do it again.”

Montanez is named on two horses when live racing returns to Laurel Thursday, Feb. 3 – Ellie Be Dancing for trainer Saul Ramirez in Race 5 and Mario Serey Jr.-trained Family Fortune in Race 8 – as well as Keen On You for trainer Hugh McMahon in Race 8 Friday, Feb. 4.

“From where I was a year and a half ago to where I am today is a big jump,” Montanez said. “I couldn't even believe it when I left the house today to ride my first race. I was like, 'Wow, thank God I'm making it back.

“I believe that 2022 will be the best part of my career. I really have that in mind,” he added. “I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but if it was easy then everybody would be where I want to be. It's going to be tough but it will be well worth it.”

Notes: Jockey Xavier Perez and trainer Jerry Robb teamed up for back-to-back winners Sunday, Al Loves Josie ($7.60) in Race 4 and Mad Genius ($5.80) in Race 5 … Trainer Anthony Farrior won twice Sunday with Treasure Trove ($10.20) in Race 6 and Monarch Beauty ($4.20) in Race 9 …There will be a carryover of $3,863 in the 20-cent Rainbow 6 when live racing returns to Laurel Thursday, Feb. 3. Post time is 12:25 p.m.

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Longtime Pennsylvania Trainer Donald White, 76, Passes

Longtime Pennsylvania Thoroughbred trainer Donald R. White of Levittown, Pa., passed away on Jan. 17 at the age of 76 after a years-long battle with cancer.

A proud member of the U.S. Army's Special Forces unit known as the Green Berets while serving in Vietnam, White opened his own stable, Don White Racing Stable, based at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa., for more than 40 years.

Equibase records show White is a multiple stakes-winning trainer with 371 wins from 4,954 career starts dating back to 1982. His most recent victory came with Malibu Anthem at Parx on Jan. 12. In late December, White sent out Sweet Turn, owned by his wife Jane, to win the PTHA Trophy at Parx.

White said his favorite part of horse training was the challenge of preparing young Thoroughbreds for their new racing careers.

Jane White said she met her husband in Baltimore some 40 years ago.

“He was assisting trainer Hap Ravich with Maryland's first millionairess Jameela at the time,” she recalled. “It was instant love for me but it took a decade for this city girl schoolteacher knowing nothing about horses to catch him. I even tried buying a horse for him to train after a year, thinking that would escalate matters, but I still had to wait nine more years until he finally gave in.

“When we married in Hialeah in 1991, Don told me to study pedigrees and he would take care of the racing with all the homebreds I started sending him every year,” she continued. “'Here, Honey,' I said, 'See what you can do with this one.'

“I remember his mother warning me long ago in Swansboro, North Carolina, that horses would always come first to him, and they indeed are what made him get up every morning he could throughout his life,” she said. “Even at his hospital bedside the night before he died, as I watched him struggle with an oxygen tube and not knowing if he knew I was there, he raised an eyebrow when I mentioned the name of one of our horses, Sweet Turn.”

White will be deeply missed by his many friends, his racing family associates, and especially by his loving wife, Jane (Obst) and his children: Michael Rosenbaum (Tammie), and Stephanie White, as well as his grandson: Jan Michael Rosenbaum and his sisters: Dorothy Hansley and Linda Gurganus (Johnny).

Services were held Jan. 21 with interment private. A memorial race celebration in his honor at Parx is being planned for the spring.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be sent to Wounded Warriors veterans charity, https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/.

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Ed Maier, Canadian Thoroughbred Owner And Breeders, Passes at 71

Canadian Thoroughbred owner and breeder Ed Maier, president of Elevated Bloodstock, has died at the age of 71.

Born in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan on Oct., 1, 1950, Maier grew up on a ranch and developed an interest in racing at a young age.

He purchased his first horse, Tammy Dew, in 1978 and since then has gone on to own or breed over 200 Thoroughbreds that have been campaigned primarily in California and Western Canada. His most accomplished runner was multiple stakes winning Hero's Amor, a Street Hero mare who won seven of 18 starts and multiple stakes at Northlands Park and Hastings Park, including the British Columbia Oaks in 2015.

Through Elevated Bloodstock in 2014, Maier was able to provide leading Southern California jockey Flavien Prat an opportunity to relocate from his native France to Southern California by obtaining a P1 Visa for him.

“One thing Ed has never lacked is vision and he came up with great innovative and practical approaches that we employ on a daily basis at Elevated Bloodstock,” said his son, Scott Maier, vice president of marketing for Elevated. “He's always been big on importing a horse for breeding or racing purposes that would improve his chances of competing on a higher level.”

Ed Maier is survived by his wife of 49 years, Patsy, and his three children: Lea-Ann, Rhonda (Darren) and Scott, along with three grandchildren.

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Trainer Hofmans On Alphabet Soup: ‘A Good Horse To Be Around’

Trainer David Hofmans understandably had nothing but fond memories of his 1996 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Alphabet Soup, who was euthanized Friday at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement in Georgetown, Ky., due to chronic kidney disease.

Foaled on March 31, 1991, Alphabet Soup was 31.

“I guess his kidneys finally gave out,” said Los Angeles native Hofmans, who turned 79 on Thursday. “He's been a good horse to a lot of people. He was super; I've got all good memories about him.”

Alphabet Soup, a descendant of Nearco, was a gray son of Cozzene out of the Arts and Letters mare Illiterate. He compiled a 10-3-6 record from 24 lifetime starts, earning $2,990,270 for Mrs. Georgia Ridder's Ridder Thoroughbred Stable.

He set a track record for 1 ¼ miles at Woodbine when he won the 1996 Classic, defeating both the great Cigar and Preakness winner Louis Quatorze. Upon the death of A.P. Indy on Feb. 21, 2020, Alphabet Soup became the oldest living winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Alphabet Soup raced in 1997 at age six, his best effort coming in defense of the San Antonio Handicap when he finished second to Gentlemen. Alphabet Soup retired to stud duty at Frank Stronach's Adena Springs in Kentucky.

“He was an absolute pleasure to train and an absolute pleasure to race,” Hofmans said. “He tried hard almost every time.

“If he didn't win it was usually because I had him in the wrong race, but he was a good horse to be around, I'll tell you.”

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