Category Archives: Minnesota

Minnesota racing and breeding

Sprick, Bremer and Hot Shot Kid to Enter Canterbury Hall of Fame

Shakopee, Minn.  —  The Canterbury Park Hall of Fame’s newest members, breeders Cheryl Sprick and Richard Bremer and Minnesota-bred thoroughbred racehorse Hot Shot Kid, will be inducted during a ceremony July 12 at the Shakopee racetrack. These inductees join a group of more than 50 individuals and horses that comprise the best of Minnesota horse racing.

Sprick and Bremer have for more than three decades bred and raised thoroughbred racehorses at the couple’s Steepwood Farm, outside of Lake City, Minn. They’ve raced at Canterbury since 1989, supporting the Minnesota racing industry through ups and downs. Sprick and Bremer race and sell their homebreds and have produced several stakes winners. Horses bred by the couple have won more than 100 races at Canterbury, 15 of those wins being stakes.

Canterbury divisional champions bred by Sprick and Bremer include champion 2-year-old of 2009 Bet Your Boots, True West, claimer of the meet in 2016 and Jose Patio, 3-year-old colt of the meet in 2023. Badge of Glory, 2-year-old of the meet in 2012 and champion three-year-old filly in 2013, is one of four fillies to win the Northern Lights Debutante, the Francis Genter and the Minnesota Oaks. No filly has won all three stakes since.

Hot Shot Kid raced from 2016 until 2023 when at nine years old he won the final start of his career. He was retired as the all-time leading Minnesota-bred money earner with $708,816. Hot Shot Kid earned a record $555,243 at Canterbury alone. In all, he raced 54 times, winning 17. Fifteen of the wins came in Shakopee where he won 10 stakes.

Hot Shot Kid, by Majestic Warrior out of the mare Our Sweet Mary B, was bred in Minnesota by the late Warren Bush who died in 2022. Linda Bush, Warren’s wife, campaigned Hot Shot Kid the following year. Hall of Famer Mac Robertson was his trainer throughout his career.

As a 3-year-old Hot Shot Kid won the Victor S. Myers and the Minnesota Derby and was voted champion 3-year-old of the meet. In 2018 he won two stakes. It was in 2019 that Hot Shot Kid defied the odds winning five stakes in a single season: the 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota Turf, Blair’s Cove, Wally’s Choice Classic and the Tom Metzen HBPA Sprint. He won going short and long on both dirt and turf and was the unanimous choice for horse of the meet.

Following his racing career Hot Shot Kid began his second career as an event horse at Stargazer Farm in Lakeville under the guidance of Dr. Jennifer Selving who plans to showcase his talents at the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover at the Kentucky Horse Park in October.

in addition to the ceremony on Friday evening, the inductees will be recognize Saturday night during live racing. Hall of Fame Night will include five stakes races including the Vic Myers and Frances Genter, prepped for the Minnesota Derby and Oaks, respectively, and a race named in memory of Hall of Fame gelding and fan favorite, Heliskier.

Post time on Saturday night is 5:10 PM