SHAKOPEE, MN – Three $50,000 turf stakes are on tap at Canterbury Park tonight early in the nine race card.

Kicking things off will be the Minnesota HBPA Distaff going a mile for fillies and mares, the third race on the evening card.  The race features $100,000 Lady Canterbury winner Beach Flower.  Beach Flower won the Lady Canterbury at nearly 11-1 but faltered next out in $35,000 optional claimer, beaten by several in here.

The winner of that optional claimer was Stormy Music who drew the outside post in the seven race field.  She was stakes placed on the turf in Phoenix in the Coady Memorial and is six for six in the exacta over the turf between Turf Paradise and Canterbury.

The other bookender in the race, Tiz Little Bull, is another that finished ahead of Beach Flower in that optional claiming race.  Only beaten by Stormy Music by 3/4 of a length, she was coming hard and has an extra half furlong to work with in the Distaff.  That 3/4 length is all that separates her from being undefeated this season over the Canterbury turf course.

The fourth race is the Brooks Fields Stakes, also a mile over the turf.  Another recent Canterbury Stakes winner, Eric Heitzman trained Nobrag Justfact, leads a competitive field of eight.  Nobrag Justfact won the $100,000 Mystic Lake Mile two starts back before traveling to Chicago to try graded stakes company in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap where he finished ninth.  He’s been first or second in all four Canterbury turf starts including a second place last season in the Mystic Lake Derby.

Arlington shipper Eckersley, winner of a $50,000 optional claimer last out there, is graded stakes placed (3rd in the 2016 Grade 3 All American at Golden Gate).  Like virtually every entry in the race, The Eck will be looking to close out the race late in the game from off the pace.

Majestic Pride, second in last year’s Brooks Fields, is one for four at Canterbury this year and may end up inheriting a lead from a field that clearly doesn’t want it.  There is no one better than clocking the pace in his head than jockey Dean Butler which should be to the Mac Robertson trainee’s advantage.

Lothenbach Stables Giant Payday is looking for his elusive first win of the season, just missing in all three races.  It is notable, however, that he was beaten by both Nobrag Justfact and Majestic Pride in two of those starts.  He has run closer to the pace in his last two races and may be another that may end up setting the fractions out of necessity for trainer Joel Berndt.

Sky Promise is moving to the turf for the first time since last summer when trainer Robertino Diodoro claimed him out of a $40,000 race at Churchill Downs.  He shipped to Canada where he immediately reeled off three straight stakes victories including a pair of Grade 3 stakes, the Manitoba and Canadian Derbies.  He finished off 2018 back in the states with a flat fifth in the $250,000 Zia Park Derby.  The well traveled four year old came back this season to take his seasonal debut over the main track here before shipping to Mountaineer for a try in the West Virginia Governor’s Cup where he broke poorly and never challenged.  Back on the turf, where he is 1-11 lifetime, it will be interesting to see how this wild card performs third off the layoff.

Bobby Baby, High Security and Bergameister round out the field and all have been running well heading into the highly competitive race.

The last stakes race on the card, the fifth in your program, is the Mystic Lake Turf Sprint going five furlongs.

Satellite Storm has really woken up for trainer Valorie Lund sine she moved him to the turf two starts back.  He is two for two in a $15,000 optional and then $35,000 open allowance, winning both with ease and earning increasing lifetime best Beyer Speed Figures of 85 and 95 respectively.  Leandro Goncalves will look to have him on the engine.

Several stakes winners did not enter to roll over for the turf newcomer, however.

Angaston ships in from Kentucky where the four year old has just barely been outmatched in several stakes and allowances including a third in the Grade 3 Shakertown to kick off his 2019 campaign.  He also was only beaten 1 1/4 by Om two back in a $106,392 Churchill Downs allowance.

The consistent Win Lion Win will break from the rail in his second race back off a brief freshener.  Last out, his first try over the Canterbury sod, he was second to Satellite Storm and just edged Brooks Fields challenger Bergameister. He’ll look to sit off the early pace that should be set by Satellite Storm and jockey Donnie Meche will look to see if Wings Locked Up, the hard knocking seven year old multiple stakes winner, will push on the lead to soften things up for them late.

NOTE: Jockey Eddie Martin Jr. was hurt in a paddock accident last night.  He was transported to the hospital but we do not have an update on his condition. 

UPDATE: In excellent news, Martin WILL be riding today at Canterbury according to his agent.

The Indian Horse Relays conclude this evening as well with races scattered across the card: youth race at 5:45 p.m.; consolation race at 7:55 p.m.; female rider race at 8:45 p.m.; Indian Horse Relay Championship race at 9:30 p.m.

Post time is a special 5:15 PM start time.  Racing will continue on Sunday at 12:45.