SHAKOPEE, MN – Wednesday night kicks off Quarter Horse season at Canterbury Park and a pair of stakes are on the agenda: the $20,000, 400 yard North Star Derby and $20,000, 300 yard North Star Futurity.
The Derby features the outstanding Summer Run Inc.’s homebred, Beep Beep Rev Rev, winner of the North Star Futurity last year as well as the Minnesota Futurity. Trained by Jason Olmstead and ridden by Edwin Escobedo, Beep Beep Rev Rev was installed at the 4-5 morning line favorite.
Escobedo has ridden Beep Beep Rev Rev in every race of her career, including her 2023 debut, a win in an allowance at Remington. Though she’ll be the prohibitive favorite, she’ll be facing some quality competition.
Remington Park’s leading owner, Tom Maher, sends out a homebred of his own, Relentless Flash. Also out of the Olmstead barn, the Hes Relentless filly has one start for 2023, an impressive allowance win at Remington while notching a field best speed index of 93. If she has stepped up that much year over year, she is going to be a formidable opponent for the favorite.
After a palate cleansing maiden contest, the freshmen will take to the track for the 300 yard Futurity.
This early in the season it’s hard to get a bead on how good some of these 2-year olds may become, especially with a trio of first time starters in the nine horse field and the rest with only a single start under their belts. One thing that is certain: leading trainer Jason Olmstead has the field surrounded with six of the nine entrants coming from his barn.
Summer Run’s homebred, Relentless Minnie, had most impressive debut of the starters, a second at Remington on May 5 where he fought for the lead throughout the race but came up just short at the wire. That kind of tightener could be all he needs to beat this group, but there are plenty of unknowns and with breeders like Canterbury Hall of Famer Rodney Von Ohlen, Lunderborg LLC and Tom Maher sending out young horses, there is likely to be plenty of emerging talent in the starting gate.
Post time for the first Wednesday evening of racing is 5 PM with the North Star Derby as the eight race on the card and the Futurity as the nightcap, the tenth.
