Horse racing walks a fine razor’s edge. On one side of the sharp, thin blade you have smiles, victory and justification; on the other lurks tears, disappointment or something far worse.

On Wednesday evening at Calgary’s Century Downs, Nathan Sobey was driving My Dragon Rocks, who was striding smartly in the third race. A split second later, the horse, who in 39 starts had never broken stride before, did just that. Then he fell, spilling Sobey to the ground.

Sobey ended up in hospital with a broken T2 vertebrae and a cracked left shoulder blade.

Also involved in a race that was declared No Contest was Preston Shaw, who suffered five broken ribs and a severe concussion.

“I’m done for a while,” said Sobey. “The doctors aren’t worried about my spine. It won’t need surgical intervention. The shoulder blade is another matter. The rotator cuff has to be looked at too. I have no idea on recovery time.”

Neither does Shaw, whose wife, Emily, posted on social media that her husband is “pretty banged up but incredibly lucky. We’re spending a couple days in ICU… but he’s in good hands. Thank you for all the calls and messages — we’re feeling very grateful he’s okay.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Shaw's recovery.

Just three days later came the other side of the razor.

On Saturday afternoon, in the rich $118,000 Shirley McClellan Breeders Stakes, Sobey’s Mademechangemymind was entered in what was projected to be a dynamic duel against Custard Dolce, a winner of 10 races in a row for trainer Jamie Gray, who also owns the three-year-old pacing filly with Jackson Wittup, Max Gibb and Derek Wilson.

“It will take a trip or catch [Custard Dolce] on an off day to beat her,” mused Sobey, who trains and owns Mademechangemymind. "[Custard Dolce] is a very versatile horse. A very talented, special versatile horse.”

Sure enough, on a wet, windy afternoon, that’s exactly what happened.

Subbing in for Sobey, Mike Hennessy got the perfect trip, sitting on Phil Giesbrecht and Custard Dolce’s back all the way around. Pulling out just before the sixteenth pole, Mademechangemymind, owned and trained by Sobey, drew within half a length, then a quarter length, then a head.

“My heart was in my throat,” said Sobey.

At the wire it was too close to call.

“I thought we ran out of racetrack,” said Sobey, who had to watch the race on TV from his home in Calgary. “I thought we were second.”

But then the photo lamp stopped blinking. The result showed Mademechangemymind the winner by four inches.

“I said it would take a perfect trip and that’s what happened,” said Sobey. “Mike did everything textbook. I told him he was either going to be in front with Custard Dolce right behind or we were going to be on Custard Dolce’s back. Given the weather and the track conditions, I’m glad it was the second [scenario].

“Being on Custard Dolce’s back was the only way to beat her,” said Sobey, who in four previous races against Custard Dolce had never defeated her before.

The mile went in 2:00.1 over a sloppy track rated five seconds off.

Sobey said the pain is “manageable as long as I don’t move.

“Everything happens for a reason,” said Sobey, who knew right away after the spill that his shoulder was either broken or dislocated. “My crew has done a great job while I’ve been away and Mike [Hennessy] has agreed to drive Mademechangemymind the rest of the way. But it certainly isn’t how I wanted the year to go. I really needed that win. And, I’m still alive.”

The Shirley McClellan was one of two big stakes races on Saturday’s card. The other was the $90,000 Moore’s Mile Breeders Stakes for three-year-old boys. The latter couldn’t have been more dissimilar to the McClellan as Discontinued destroyed his opponents with a typically perfect, Brandon Campbell drive.

Getting saddled with yet another outside post -- something which seemingly has besieged him for years -- Campbell left from post eight and quickly found an open five-hole, which he smartly dropped into behind the pace set by Outlawminutbyminut and driver Logan Gillis. With pressure coming from behind in the form of Dont Delete Me, Campbell pulled Discontinued to the outside down the backstretch.

“I was a little nervous moving that early -- especially the way the wind was blowing up the backstretch -- but I was forced,” said Campbell.

It didn’t matter. Campbell and Discontinued, usually the pacesetter, swooped past the leaders around the final turn and into a quick five-length lead, which he easily held to the finish line ahead of Momas Work Of Art.

“I tapped him a bit when I got beside Logan and he picked up the bit and started pacing,” said Campbell. “I’m pretty happy, especially after they keep sticking me with bad posts. When I got post eight, I just shrugged and said, ‘Of course; go figure.’ It’s just a number behind the gate. When you’ve got the best horse, you’ve got the best horse. I knew he could come from behind. He got a chance [Saturday] to show it and he did.”

The victory was Discontinued fourth in six starts this year.

The mile went in 1:58.1, which was solid given the conditions.

“Another nice colt for us,” said Campbell. “I’ve been blessed and lucky. It was good.”

(Curtis Stock / thehorses.com)