SHAKOPEE, MN – Memorial Day racing at Canterbury Park will feature a pair of $50,000 turf stakes, the Northbound Pride Oaks for 3-year old fillies and the Honor the Hero for older turf sprinters.
In the one mile Northbound Pride Oaks, Barry and Joni Butzow’s Sirenusa will look to stay undefeated as she stretches out for the first time for trainer Joe Sharp. She’s shown a nice early turn of foot scoring at Fairgrounds and in a Keeneland allowance turf sprints. She should be able to handle the extra distance as she tackles two turns for the first time. Her regular rider, Adam Beschizza, come in for the ride.
Ramsey Farm homebred Sippin Kitten entered the ranks of winners last out at Keeneland, earning a 79 Beyer Speed figure in the process. She’ll be coming from off the pace and will be making a run late at Sirenusa.
Locally based Tahoe Dream was a maiden winner at Oaklawn earlier in the year and followed that up with an optional claiming score. Trainer Mac Robertson thought enough of her to try her in the Grade 3 Fantasy stakes. Though she had a rough go in the Fantasy, the talented Afleet Alex filly will try the grass for the first time in the Oaks.
The five and a half furlong Honor the Hero features a full field of eleven including last year’s Dark Star Cup winner Wings Locked Up. Already a winner over the Canterbury turf, the 6-year old Munnings gelding has earned wins in the Sam Houston Sprint Cup and an Oaklawn Park $35,000 Starter Allowance where he earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.
Sharp and Beschizza team up again with Get A Valentine for the Honor the Hero. Claimed for $30,000 at the end of 2017 he came right back to win two in a row for the new connections at the Fairgrounds after they shortened him up in turf sprints. In his last start, a second level allowance over a yielding turf course, Get A Valentine finished second after a rough break. Expect him to be right there with Wings Locked Up early.
A longshot possibility could be 10-1 Hay Dakota. A graded stakes winner on the grass and when last seen at Canterbury he won two of four starts including the $100,000 Mystic Lake Mile. After three subpar efforts toward the end of 2017 he was given a break by trainer Joel Berndt and has been training sharply for his return.
Post time for the Memorial Day card is 12:45 PM. The “Running of the Bulldogs”, scheduled for this afternoon, was cancelled because of the expected heat.
