SHAKOPEE, MN – As the Canterbury season winds down, the long Labor Day weekend brings with it Minnesota Festival of Champions Day on Sunday. The Minnesota bred championships were first run in 1992 as a way to bid farewell to racing at the old Canterbury Downs. The Festival was resurrected in 1995 when Dale Schenian and Curt and Randy Sampson reopened the track and rechristened it Canterbury Park.
This year’s renewal will feature two quarter horse stakes to lead off the card and six thoroughbred stakes interspersed through the remainder of the 12 race card. The stakes races carry a total of $600,000 in purses.
Here is a look at each race as well as some fun facts of each.
MINNESOTA QUARTER HORSE DERBY ($50,000) – 400 Yards
Dickey Bob has reeled off three consecutive wins against state bred company including stakes wins in the Morehouse and Cash Caravan. Six of nine at Canterbury, his 80+ speed indexes simply tower over this field.
FUN FACTS: Trainer Ed Ross Hardy has nine wins in this race. Bob and Julie Peterson lead all owners in the Derby with four wins. 2018 Hall of Fame inductee, owner/breeder Rodney Von Ohlen has won this race three times.
MINNESOTA QUARTER HORSE FUTURITY ($50,000) – 350 Yards
A much more wide open affair than the Derby, no one in this group has won more than their maiden breaker, though Haute Wagon, on the rail, was stakes placed earlier this season in the Minnesota Stallion Breeders’ Futurity.
Holy Storm, 5th in the same stake, has improved steadily off that effort, finally notching his maiden win last out.
The top speed index in the field belongs to the outside horse, Fly With A Buzz (62). The gelding hasn’t missed the board in three starts. A fast improving two year can be dangerous in what looks to be a very competitive race.
FUN FACTS: Trainer Ed Ross Hardy has 10 winners in this race but Jason Olmstead has trained the last two. Bob and Julie Peterson have won the race five times.
NORTHERN LIGHTS DEBUTANTE ($100,000) – 6 Furlongs
Only three winners dot the ten horse Debutante field which also includes two first time starters. The swiftest of the winners appears to be Dangerous Wave. The Rake Farms filly made her debut breaking from the rail, certainly not the most advantageous for a young firster, and made a rail move passing horses late to finish second – an impressive feat for a first timer. She backed up her impressive debut with a win next out, winning professionally under newly minted Hall of Famer Dean Butler.
FUN FACT: The $100,000 purse this year is the richest purse ever offered for the Deb.
NORTHERN LIGHTS FUTURITY ($100,000) – 6 Furlongs
This is a very competitive renewal of the Futurity and perhaps the best race on the card.
Dame Plata is the only multiple winner of the group, going two for two in breaking his maiden and then taking the MTA Sales Graduate Futurity. In the MTA he outdueled the rail horse in the Futurity, Notte Oscura, while the rest of the pack was 11 3/4 lengths behind at the wire.
Jobim and Mister Benjamin both broke their maidens in impressive fashion their first time out. Both geldings are trained by Mac Robertson and were ridden to their debut wins by Dean Butler. Butler stays with Novogratz Stable’s Mister Benjamin while Ry Eikleberry takes the reins on the Malkerson homebred Jobim.
FUN FACT: The Futurity purse has broken the $100,000 mark twice before. The 1988 and ’89 renewals were $108,000 and $103,945, respectively.
CROCROCK MINNESOTA SPRINT ($75,000) – 6 Furlongs
The remainder of the stakes sport six horse fields but some, like the Sprint, look to be very competitive.
Mines Made Up is coming off the most impressive win of the group, a ten length win over open allowance company and picking up a field best 92 Beyer. The 4-year old Mineshaft gelding is undefeated since trainer Karl Broberg adding blinkers to the mix. A $7500 claim earlier in the meet, he’s looking to cap off an impressive season in the Sprint. His recent sharpness as well as his more brilliant early speed will make him tough in here.
Hot Shot Kid, a multiple stakes winner at three, won the off the turf Minnesota Turf earlier this season going a mile, earning a career best 82 Beyer in the process. Defending champion Smooth Chiraz seems to always to be ready when the money is on the line, winning at 9-1 last year, though running fourth three times in a row in open $40,000 optional claimers.
Speeding Kid has not missed the board this year while sprinting, earning a win two back in the Minnesota Made Sprint and was second in the Vic Meyers losing by six and a quarter to Mr. Jagermeister.
FUN FACTS: Hall of Fame inductee Dean Butler has won the race six times. Trainer Francisco Bravo has won the race four times. Owner Dale Schenian has won the race five times. Two horses have won the race for three consecutive years: Crocrock (’00-’02) and Nomorewineforeddie (’10-’12). Crocrock won the race four times overall.
WALLY’S CHOICE MINNESOTA CLASSIC ($75,000) – Mile and 1/16
Mr. Jagermeister. No need to really say any more. The 3-year old Atta Boy Roy colt has dominated his Minnesota bred competition going undefeated with his closest Minnesota bred race being the Vic Myers where he “only” won by six and a quarter. He reeled off a 99 Beyer in his last, a ten length win in the mile and 70 yard Minnesota Derby.
FUN FACTS: Trainer Mac Robertson is a seven times winner of the race. Coconino Slim won the race three consecutive times (’12-’14).
BELLA NOTTE MINNESOTAN DISTAFF SPRINT ($75,000) – 6 Furlongs
Honey’s Sox Appeal, looking for her third consecutive win in this event, will break from the rail. While she hasn’t won yet this year, she has been heating up of late finishing 2nd last out in an $35,000 optional claimer over the turf to 2017 Horse of the Meet and multiple graded stakes placed Amy’s Challenge.
Simran won three in a row mid-meet including victories in the Frances Genter and Minnesota Made Distaff. She tired in the Minnesota Oaks trying two turns for the first time and will revert back to six furlongs in the Distaff Sprint.
Miss Jane has showed great speed since coming back after a year layoff. She’s two of three this season with a third in the Minnesota Made Distaff Sprint behind Simran and Ta Kela Warning.
Ta Kela Warning started her 2018 campaign with a 21-1 win at Tampa Bay Downs but has been bridesmaid since coming up to Minnesota, hitting the board in three statebred stakes but just not quit breaking through.
Honey’s Sox Appeal is going to be tough to beat if Orlando Mojica can pick out a stalking trip for her behind the early speed.
FUN FACTS: Trainer Mac Robertson has won this race eight times, the last two with Honey’s Sox Appeal. Art and Gretchen Eaton won this race three consecutive times with the race’s namesake, Bella Notte, from 2009 – 11.
GLITTER STAR MINNESOTA DISTAFF CLASSIC ($75,000) – Mile and 1/16
Defending champion Pinup Girl returns to defend her title in the Classic. She’ll be facing off against an old rival and an up and coming three year old.
Pinup Girl already has a pair of stakes to her credit this year, taking the Lady Slipper and the off the turf Minnesota Turf Distaff. After a lull through the Princess Elaine and an open $35,000 optional claimer, she bounced back strongly in her prep for this race, defeating a field of seven in an open $25,000 optional claimer in her trademark off the pace style.
Double Bee Sting, second to Pinup Girl in last year’s Distaff but besting her in the Minnesota Oaks, has had a rougher time of it in 2018 than her rival. Yet to notch her first win, she was second in the Minnesota Turf Distaff but was beaten convincingly by Pinup Girl last out.
Three year old Minnesota Oaks winner Firstmate has been a prodigy. She opened her career winning as a first time starter in the $85,000 Northern Lights Debutante. Her connections thought highly enough of her to try the Grade 2 Pocahontas and then the Rags to Riches at Churchill. Outrun in those ambitious efforts, she laid up until 2018 and kicked off the season winning a statebred allowance, though she faltered in the Frances Genter to Simran, she turned the table on her in the Oaks, winning by a convincing 4 1/2 lengths.
Should the fillies and mare that have the potential for early speed flash it, the race could set up well for Pinup Girl.
FUN FACTS: Plana Dance, back to back winner in 1997-98, would go own to give birth to two time Canterbury Horse of the Year and 2018 Hall of Fame inductee Heliskier. Glitter Star won this race three consecutive times (2005-07). Trainers Mac Robertson and Ritchie Scherer have each won this race four times.
First post for Minnesota Festival of Champions Day is 12:45 PM.
