SHAKOPEE, MN – After much anticipation, Canterbury Park ran a test race out of the seven-furlong chute. The ninth race was run a half hour after the 8th race as a non-pari-mutuel event. However, it was an official race with $12,000 in purse money being offered for the $5000 starter allowance featuring 7 horses.
The race was won by Child Proof, but the real proof was what the jocks thought after the race. This was the first race at seven furlongs (“Hey, that’s a new track record” was overheard in the winners’ circle) and the track had to make sure that the camera angles were good for the future simulcast feed and, more importantly, that the months of work designing and building the chute paid off.
“It was fine,” said jockey Fausto DaSilva, who was aboard Mickey Dobbs in the race and broke from post position three. “I’ve ridden courses like that overseas and it’s fine. I think you need to keep the field size around seven or eight and it will be okay.”
The starting gate is positioned where part of the employee parking used to be just beyond the clubhouse. The field then gradually moves toward the main track, gently bending until it meets the track through the first turn.
“As long as we stay in our lanes out of the gate,” said Constantino Roman, who rode the winner out of post five, “then everything is going to be okay.”
Roman and Brayan Pena, aboard Brief Note (6) also reiterated that keeping the field size manageable will enhance safety and race riding. Too large a field could cause a crush of horses coming down on the rail and could be problematic.
“You can’t really gun a horse at 7/8s” said Pena, “You’ll never finish. You have to be safe. We’ll keep straight and look out for each other.”
It’s expected that seven furlong races will be first carded as extras on the overnights and then be part of the last condition book.
