SHAKOPEE, MN – Tuesday night the Quarter Horse Challenge series comes to Canterbury Park and brings with it two of the most explosive quarters in the country, defending local challenge champions, Danjer and Lynnder16.
The five-year-old gelding, Danjer, (Fdd Dynasty – Shez Jess Toxic) bred, trained and owned (with Downtime Enterprise LLC & Billy G Smith) by Dean Fry. Danjer was the Horse of the Meet at the recently concluded Remington Park meet and was named 2020 Aged Horse of the Year. Danjer won four of five races in 2020 with earnings of $326,061. One of those wins came in the Grade 3 Bank of America Canterbury Park Challenge, in which Danjer will attempt to defend his title in the evening’s finale.
The 3/5 morning line favorite in the $52,360 440-yard race, Danjer is a nose away from going two for two this season, losing his debut to Jess My Hocks in the Grade 1 Leo, but came back to beat that one in the Grade 1 Remington Park Invitational on May 29. With speed indices consistently over 100, Danjer is the most likely winner on the card if he can have an uneventful trip.
Lynnder 16 looks to be the class of the $38,615 Distaff Challenge. She’s one for one this season, taking a $16,000 optional claimer prior to her defense of her Canterbury challenge title while notching a 97-speed index. The five-year-old sorrel mare, trained by Jason Olmstead, won the Grade 1 Challenge Championship at Albuquerque last year and looks poised to start the defense of her national title.
The evening’s stakes action begins in race seven with the $25,432 870-yard Canterbury Park Distance Challenge. The 8-5 favorite is Bob Johnson trained Fasta Than Hasta, a 2020 finalist for top distance horse. Fasta Than Hasta debuted this season at Energy Downs 307 Horse Racing taking the AQHA Distance Challenge by a head and earning a speed index of 86.
Vic Hanson trained Graded Stakes winner Ms Esther will break from the rail. The seven-year-old hasn’t missed the board yet in 2021 with a win, a second and a pair of thirds at Remington. The two thirds were both in Grade 3s. She has nice tactical speed and should be a factor late.
The two-year-olds will take to the track in the eighth race, the $71,362 MQHRA Futurity. The fastest qualifier was the filly, Relentless Babe. Owned by Tom Maher and trained by Jason Olmstead, Relentless Babe broke cleanly and maintained a length lead throughout the 350-yard qualifier, setting the top time at 16.86.
The other top qualifiers were Seoul Shine and Relentless Courage. All three trial winners were sired by Hes Relentless as were four others in the ten-horse field.
Racing at Canterbury Tuesday night begins at 5 PM with the Quarter Horse stakes action beginning in race seven.
