SHAKOPEE, MN – The Frances Genter and Vic Myers Stakes, the traditional preps for the Minnesota Oaks and Derby, respectively, headline tonight’s card at Canterbury and are paired with the 7 1/2 turf tests for older horses, the Minnesota Turf Distaff and the Ralph Strangis Memorial Stakes .
$50,000 Frances Genter
The Genter, for 3-year old Minnesota bred fillies going six furlongs over the main track, will kick off the stakes action in the 3rd race.
Rush Hour Traffic, a Sugarland Thoroughbreds homebred, is the 8/5 morning line favorite. Trained by Gary Scherer, the 2019 Northern Lights Debutante winner had a bit of a rough start to her 2020 campaign against older open company fillies and mares in an open turf allowance. She returns to the main track tonight and hopes to recapture her 2019 form back in state bred company. While losing regular jock Leandro Goncalves to Hotasapistol, she picks up 2019 leading rider Francisco Arrieta and should be forwardly placed early.
To her outside in post 7 will be Defend the Rose, bred by Malkerson Stables and owned by Novogratz Racing, the Mac Robertson trainee in the Genter. Robertson, always dangerous in stakes races at Canterbury, won this race last year with Ready to Runaway.
Defend the Rose, second to Rush Hour Traffic in the 2019 Northern Lights Debutante, began her 2020 campaign at Oaklawn Park in an $80,000 optional claiming race where she was a bit outgunned. Following the enforced absence from the races by the late start at home, she was the beaten favorite in a state bred allowance last out. She had a world of trouble throughout the race to overcome and was still able to hold third when she was forced to try and come from behind for the usual front runner. Expect her to be setting the early fractions this time out.
Grey Wave, owned and bred by Rake Farms, should be the one to get first jump on the leaders under jockey Dean Butler for trainer Bernell Rhone. The same connections combined to win the 2014 edition of the Genter with home bred Sky and Sea.
Grey Wave’s prep for this race was the same state bred allowance where Defend the Rose had her issues. While not impeded, Grey Wave was able to make a sustained move wide throughout the turn in the 5 1/2 furlong dash and was one of the few horses to be able to close on the speed favoring oval on opening night. She was third in the race and finished with a last race best Beyer Speed Figure of 50.
Second timer Temujin Lady made a statement in her career debut, leading virtually gate to wire over a maiden special weight field. The water gets considerably deeper here, but stepping up from her debut puts her right in the mix here.
$50,000 Vic Myers
The $50,000 Myers, for 3-year old Minnesota bred colts and geldings, is also run at six furlongs over the main track.
Bob Lindgren’s Happy Hour Cowboy, son of 2012 Genter winner Happy Hour Honey, will look to build on his impressive local 2-year old performances in the Myers.
Winner of last year’s Northern Lights, Happy Hour Cowboy put a couple of races under his belt at Oaklawn in $80,000 optional claiming races where he was outmatched but showed some early speed in both races. Back home against state breds, the Mac Robertson trainee should have enough speed and, combined with breaking from the rail, should have jockey Alex Canchari trying to lead the field gate to wire.
Gary Scherer trained Weekend Ride flashed talent as a 2-year old, going one for one at Prairie Meadows before taking the rest of his freshman season off. Back in action opening night at Canterbury, he broke a step slow but was able to hustle into contention before his late rally was blunted late against older.
Weekend Ride, bred by Wildcat Ranch and owned by Jeff Drown, worked a zippy :47 3/5 in preparation for the Myers and should be right there with Happy Hour Cowboy early.
Ramsus had a huge debut win at Prairie Meadows last year and has trained forwardly for Mike Biehler but will be debuting this season in the Myers, a tough ask.
Public Safety, second in the Northern Lights as a maiden this year, ships in from Gulfstream Park where he lagged in an open $50,000 optional claiming sprint over the turf but has been training well for Coty Rosin leading into the Myers.
$50,000 Minnesota Turf Distaff
The Turf Distaff, the fifth race on the card, is the first of a pair of 7 1/2 turf races for state bred horses.
Much of the cast from the Lady Slipper Stakes is back to test the turf.
Ready to Runaway, an emerging Minnesota bred superstar, will tackle the turf for the first time tonight. The front runner put away many of these opponents in the Lady Slipper and is the favorite to duplicate that effort.
Last year’s champ, First Hunter, will look to have something to say late in the Distaff when she tries to run down her stablemate from the Robertson barn.
Forstmate, also charged hard late to beat a field of state bred allowance fillies and mares last year in her only turf start.
Maywood Hope, second in last year’s Distaff Turf, opened up her season with an impressive win over open fillies and mares over the Canterbury turf. She’s another that will be coming late at Ready to Runaway. Maywood Hope has run five times over the Canterbury turf, winning three and placing twice.
Multiple stakes winning Honey’s Sox Appeal, out of the Robertson barn, comes back to the turf where she is one for seven while hitting the board six times. Going longer has been an occasional issue for the front running mare, but she has scored as long as a mile and a sixteenth in the 2019 off the turf Princess Elaine stakes.
Another Robertson trainee, the lightly raced Clickbait, looks to continue her impressive career, trying the turf for the first time in the distaff. After going two for two as a three year old to start her career, she launched her 2020 season with a strong second in a $61,000 open allowance at Oaklawn. Though idle since late March, she could surprise at 6-1 as she possesses the type of stalking speed that could give her first jump on the front runners and the talent to keep the closers at bay if she handles the turf.
$50,000 Ralph Strangis
Formerly the Minnesota Turf, the race was renamed in honor of former Minnesota Racing Commissioner Ralph Strangis this season.
Interestingly, the last three winners of the Vic Myers, run earlier on tonight’s card, are all gathered here in the Strangis with many coming in from the 10,000 Lakes Stakes, won by Hot Shot Kid.
The Kid is the 8/5 morning line favorite for the Strangis and it is hard to argue with the Warren Bush bred and owned Mac Robertson trainee’s recent success.
The 10,000 Lakes champion is also the two time defending champion of this race, though the 2018 edition was off the turf. The Kid’s last five stakes tries have all been wins and has won his last six over state breds. The tractable 6-year old gelding has won from the front and from behind, giving Francisco Arrieta a lot of options when the gates open.
Mr. Jagermeister, is 0-2 over the turf and comes into the race the beaten favorite in the 10,000 Lakes. The front running horse will have company on the front end again from Cinco Star, as he did in the 10,000 Lakes, as well as possibly Mister Banjoman and Drop of Golden Sun.
Canterbury fan favorite, 9-year old gelding A P is Loose, will look to come charging late and giving his fans a thrill when they can hear Paul Allen roar in the lane “And A P is Loose”. This assignment gets tougher every year, however, and this is as formidable group as he’s ever faced.
Mr. Banjoman prepped for the Strangis in an open allowance sprint where he sat just off the pace and finished a strong second. He gives trainer Mac Robertson a strong contingent along with Hot Shot Kid, Cinco Star and A P is Loose
CANTERBURY OFF TRACK HANDLE SOARS
Through eight racing days, total handle has increased 163.8% per race compared to 2019 with on track per race handle declining 61.9% per race due to the restriction on spectators and out of state per race handle increasing 266%. Simulcast racing operations returned to a daily schedule June 10 and the Canterbury Card Casino reopened table games June 15.
Post time for the 10 race card is 4:40 PM CT with the stakes races, part of an all stakes Pick 4, begins with race 3.
