Shakopee, Minn. — Canterbury Park racing officials have announced a change in the date of the Mystic Lake Northern Stars Racing Festival to Saturday, June 20. The marque night of thoroughbred racing had previously been set for June 27 but track officials decided moving the festival, which features six stakes races including the Shakopee, Minn. racetrack’s richest event, the $200,000 Mystic Lake Derby, a week earlier would position it on a less competitive day nationally in order to attract top trainers with the best possible horses and largest fields.
“The national racing landscape is ever changing and we want to have one of Canterbury Park’s biggest nights in the right place on the calendar,” Vice President of Racing Operations Andrew Offerman said. “This is an important evening of racing for us both on track and in the simulcast market. We want to give our product a chance to shine.”
The June 20 stakes line-up includes three one mile turf races, the ninth rendition of the $200,000 Mystic Lake Derby, the $100,000 Mystic Lake Mile, and the $100,000 Lady Canterbury Stakes for fillies and mares. Two sprints, the six and one-half furlong $50,000 Dark Star Cup and six furlong $50,000 Hoist Her Flag Stakes for fillies and mares, will be contested on the main track. A new turf sprint is added to the festival, the L’Etoile du Nord, at five furlongs for fillies and mares.
First post on June 20, and each Saturday of the 2020 race meet, is 5:00 p.m. All stakes nomination forms are available at https://www.canterburypark.com/horsemen/ along with stall applications due March 27. Canterbury Park’s 65-day race meet begins May 15and runs through Sept. 12
