SHAKOPEE, MN – Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron will be hosting a Casino Night fundraising event for the Leg Up Fund at Canterbury Park on Tuesday, April 26. The Leg Up Fund was established in 2014 to provide emergency financial assistance to jockeys injured while riding at the Shakopee, Minn. racetrack.
The Casino Night will be held from 7 – 9:30 p.m. in Canterbury’s Triple Crown Club. Admission is $35 in advance or $45 at the door and includes a presentation by McCarron, dinner, soda, and 3,000 in chips. A $100 per-person VIP Meet and Greet event from 6 – 7:00 p.m. that includes appetizers, open bar, and 6,000 in chips precedes the main event. Tickets can be purchased by calling (952) 445-7224.
“I am really looking forward to participating in the Leg Up fundraiser. I have fond memories of Canterbury, having won the first ever turf race there on a mare named Sauna in the inaugural Lady Canterbury Handicap in 1986,” McCarron said.
McCarron has long appreciated the need to assist injured riders. He, along with actor Tim Conway, founded the Don MacBeth Memorial Jockey Fund in 1987 and was involved until the fund ceased operation in 2011. The MacBeth Fund provided financial assistance and helped with the cost of medical and rehabilitation services for injured riders nationally.
“I really appreciate and respect the fans at Canterbury as well as the riders, owners and trainers because of the very generous contributions they made to the Don MacBeth Memorial Jockey Fund and I know they support the Leg Up Fund with the same enthusiasm,” McCarron said. “Each year while the MacBeth Fund was operating, Canterbury was a leader in contributions on our ‘Jockeys Across America’ day. Minnesota race fans should be very proud of that accomplishment and of what they are now doing with the Leg Up Fund.”
“By making the Leg Up Fund exclusive to Canterbury, our contributors have a more personal experience and relationship with the Jockeys who will benefit,” said Willa Dailey, Chairperson of the Leg Up Fund. “Chris McCarron’s return to Canterbury to assist us in building this fund is a testament to the simple truth that remembering where we came from helps keep us on the path to where we want to be, and paves the way for those who will follow.”
Guests at the Casino Night use their chips to play games of chance such as Blackjack, Let It Ride and Texas Hold ‘em. and become eligible to win prizes including a round of golf April 27 with McCarron at Hazeltine National Golf Club, home of the 2016 Ryder Cup; a Minnesota Twins game as a guest of McCarron; Ryder Cup tickets; and a Day at the Races in the Owner’s Box. A live auction will also be held for similar items.
The event will be the first in a series of events throughout the year to raise money for the Leg Up Fund.
“It only stands to reason that Minnesota racing fans and horsemen would seize this localized opportunity to assist the Jockeys who contribute so much to our success and enthusiasm for the sport,” added Dailey. “By making the Leg Up Fund exclusive to Canterbury, our contributors have a more personal experience and relationship with the jockeys who will benefit.”
