SHAKOPEE, MN – The Quarter Horse season kicked off tonight at Canterbury Park with a pair of $25,000 stakes, the North Star State Derby and the North Star State Futurity.
The Derby went off as the 9th race on the 10-race card with Relentless Courage going off as the 4-5 favorite in the 400-yard race. When the gates opened, though, he got left in the gate and trailed throughout the race.
Tomi Guns jumped out to the early lead but Relentless Legacy closed the margin steadily and caught Tomi Guns 10-yards before the wire. Relentless Legacy is owned by Tom Maher and trained by Jason Olmstead and was ridden to victory by Edwin Escobedo.
“He won his first race and hurt his sesamoid and then had to take a year off. It was certainly worth the wait,” said winning owner Tom Maher. “My partner in Relentless Courage, Paul Ludemann, helped get me a Minnesota bred and that was really the best part: doing it here at Canterbury. This is the friendliest place there is.”
Relentless Legacy paid $9.20 for the win. Longshot Michael B ($9.80) was second and Tomi Guns held on for third ($6.20). The 400-yards was covered in :20.04. Relentless Legacy was bred in Minnesota by Donald J. Friesen.
In the Futurity, Beep Beep Rev Rev took all the early wagering and then, at the last flash, $25,000 to place and show. The Paul Luedemann owned, Jason Olmstead trained filly led from gate to wire, paying $2.60 and rewarding the bridge jumper with $2.10 place and show payouts.
Relentless Flash ($7.80) was second and Blu Bye U ($2.20) third.
The winner was bred in Minnesota by Summer Run Inc. and covered the 300-yards in 15.753
