MINNESOTA NEWS AND NOTES

BUSHROD DQ’d

The Minnesota Racing Commission ratified a settlement agreement in which Bushrod, winner of the inaugural Mystic Lake Turf Express, was disqualified at their meeting on December 14. The race was run on August 25.

Bushrod is trained by Judd Becker and, according to Equibase, currently owned by Tim Rosin though was listed as co-owned by Becker and Rosin at the time of the Turf Express.  Becker claimed Bushrod on May 11, 2018 at Arlington Park for $18,000. Since that time Bushrod has made eight starts, winning three (including the Turf Express), only missing the board in the Grade 2 Neartic Stakes at Woodbine, finishing fifth.

According to the ruling:

“Bushrod, a Thoroughbred owned and trained by Becker, is referenced in Paragraph 5 of the Settlement Agreement which states in part “Bushrod is disqualified and declared unplaced in Race 4 at Canterbury Park on August 25, 2018.

“With the MRC’s approval of the Settlement Agreement, the Board of Stewards hereby orders a redistribution of the purse for Race 4 at Canterbury Park on August 25, the $100,000 Mystic Lake Turf Express Stakes, and declares the official placings to be revised as follows: 1st–#4 Show Bound, 2nd–#5 Fireman Oscar, 3rd- -#6 Jockamo’s Song, 4th–#7 Izzy the Warrior, 5th–#8 Creative Art, 6th–#1 Sky T and unplaced #3 Bushrod, which originally placed first.”

The distribution of the 2018 Minnesota breeder awards were held up until the decision since Minnesota bred Fireman Oscar was moved up from third to second in the $100,000 race and significantly affected the breeder’s award. Distribution of the 2018 awards should be forthcoming.

More on this story to come.

CANTERBURY PARK DATES APPROVED

Canterbury Park’s request for dates was approved by the Minnesota Racing Commission at their meeting Thursday

The 66 day race meet will commence on May 4, Kentucky Oaks Day, and finish up on September 14.  This season marks the 25th season of continuous racing at the Shakopee oval since racing returned to Minnesota in 1995 after the closure of Canterbury Downs after the 1992 season.

Rechristened Canterbury Park by current President and CEO Randy Sampson, his father Curtis Sampson, and businessman Dale Schenian when they purchased the track and surrounding property in 1994, Canterbury re-opened for simulcast racing in May of that year. Live racing returned in the summer of 1995.

On Thursdays and Fridays in 2019, racing will begin at 6:00 p.m., 30 minutes earlier than previous race meets, and weekend and holiday racing will begin at 12:45 p.m. On July 3 and 4 racing will begin at 4 p.m. There will be three Saturday evening programs, June 22, Aug. 10 and 24, with a 5:00 p.m. start time. A one-week break in the racing season will allow Canterbury to host Twin Cities Summer Jam, July 18 – 20. The three-day music festival will be held in the track infield.

Read more about the track dates here.

AWARD WINNING CANTERBURY PHOTO HEADS TO HALL OF FAME

A photo taken by our own co-founder, Heather Grevelis, is heading to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, NY.

The photo (above) of Dean Butler coming off of was featured here, in the Paulick Report and was the cover shot for American Racehorse’s Fall 2017 edition. The photograph was also the winner of the prestigious Equine Media Award for best action shot of the year

The photo was chosen by a panel to be part of the juried exhibit, “Photo Finish,” hosted by the Museum in 2019. The exhibit begins its run on January 19.