SHAKOPEE, MN – In a tight battle for the leading trainer title at Canterbury Park, Robertino Diodoro went from trailing by three to leading by one heading into the final day of live racing for the season Friday night.
Diodoro won five races to Canterbury Park Hall of Famer Mac Robertson’s single victory including victories in the John Bullit Stakes and the Tom Metzen HBPA Sprint. He also opened the card with a pair of second place finishes.
In the $50,000 Bullit, Patriots Rule, owned by Charles Garvey who is locked in a battle of his own for leading owner with Novogratz Stables, swept from last to first around the turn in the mile and a sixteenth Bbullit to win by two lengths, winning in 1:43.88
“This guy has always been one of the favorites in the barn,” said Diodoro. “We’ve had him since he was little and he’s a great horse to be around.”
Patriots Rule paid $7.20 for the win. Favored Underpressure ($3.00) was second and Izzy the Warrior ($6.00).
The win put Garvey in a tie for the leading owner title with Novogratz with 14 wins each. Garvey has three entries on closing day while Novogratz has five.
The Tom Metzen HBPA Sprint is always an emotional one for Diodoro.
“This race means an awful lot to me,” he said. “Tom was the one that got me to come here the first time and kept me coming back. He did so much for Minnesota racing and this race means a lot.”
Diodoro won the inaugural Metzen two years ago and sent out Bourbon Cowboy to face the favored Hot Shot Kid in this edition.
Both horses stalked the early pace but striking for home, the pair locked in an epic stretch duel. Nose to nose down the lane with Bourbon Cowboy and Lesling Mawing to the inside of Hot Shot Kid and Leandro Goncalves, the pair matched strides until, with about a hundred yards to go, Bourbon Cowboy got his head and front and kept it there until the wire.
“I just tried to keep him comfortable,” said Mawing. “He broke hallway decent and I know that he gives you everything he has coming down the lane.”
“This horse isn’t easy to train,” said Diodoro. “I really need to give credit to Matt Williams and Sean Williams for all they do in the mornings with him.”
Bourbon Cowboy paid $6.00 for the win. Hot Shot Kid ($2.80) was second and Exemplar ($5.00) was third.
Bourbon Cowboy was claimed for $50,000 at Oaklawn on April 14 and has reward his ownership team or Randy Howg, Selman Selman Shaby and Lana Smith with two wins in six starts and earnings of $71,040.
Bourbon Cowboy stopped the clock in 1:09.41 for the six furlongs.
Final day post time for Canterbury this afternoon is 12:45. The MTA Stallion Auction Stakes and the Shakopee Juvenile will be the feature races on the 14 race card. Leading owner and trainer titles will be decided and Ry Eikleberry, with a 7 win lead over Mojica should secure the riding title. The final five jackpot carryover is $69,208 and will be a “must pay”. The pot should get close to, if not eclipse, $100,000.
