SHAKOPEE, MN – Five stakes race worth $500,000, including the $200,000 Mystic Lake Derby, will be contested at Canterbury Park this evening.  The Northern Stars Racing Festival, presented by Mystic Lake, kicks off at a special 6 PM post time with the stakes action starting in race 3 with the Lady Canterbury.

The $100,000 Lady Canterbury Stakes for fillies and miles will be contested over a mile on the turf course.  One scratch, the speedy Molecules, leaves a field of seven and does somewhat affect the potential pace of the race.

Before the scratch it was expected that Molecules, breaking from post 1, would be the filly to give the favorite, graded stakes placed I’m Betty G, a battle on the front end with Burma Road.  A little less speed could help the Michael Maker trainee get to the front from the outside and Tyler Gaffalione a chance to control the race.

Minnesota owned Sirenusa, owned by longtime Canterbury owners Barry and Joni Butzow, comes into the race undefeated in three career starts, including a romp in the $50,000 Northbound Pride Oaks over this turf course, and will try to maintain a stalking position and get first run at the leaders as they head for home.

Another local, longshot Laura Ray, will be breaking from post position 2 for trainer Tammy Hornsby.

The $100,000 Mystic Lake Mile, also at a mile over the turf, will post a field of 11 including last year’s winner, Hay Dakota, trained by Joel Berndt and stabled at Canterbury Park.

The Mile looks to be a wide open event as indicated by the mild 3-1 morning line favorite Swagger Jagger, a Michael Maker trained horse coming in off a couple of months after winning the Tampa Bay Downs Turf Classic.  He has been training forwardly for his return and brings the services of Adam Beschizza who is one for one at Canterbury, guiding Sirenusa to her Northbound Pride win.

Four year old Sonic Boom, a graded stakes winner at 3 taking the American Derby at Arlington, is owned by Lothenbach Stables (Robert Lothenbach of Wayzata) and will look to try and get back to that 2017 form after a rough start to 2018.

Several other locals will be looking to make an impact in the Mile.

Mac Robertson’s Majestic Pride, second in the 5 furlong Honor the Hero in his seasonal bow, will stretch out to his more preferred distance where he finished second by a neck to Hay Dakota in this race last year.  His early speed will make him dangerous, especially with skilled speed rationer Dean Butler aboard.

Francisco Bravo brings in another speedster, Ibaka, who wired the field last out in an impressive optional claiming victory over this turf course earlier in the month.

Patriots Rule, trained by Robertino Diodoro, is one for three over the Canterbury turf and owns wins over the main track as well including last year’s off-the-turf Brooks Fields Stakes at this mile distance.  Should the pace be hot up front, Patriots Rule will be rolling at them late.

Longshot High Security comes into the race off an optional claiming win where he defeated Hay Dakota by a head going this distance over this turf course.  Trained by Canterbury Hall of Famer David Van Winkle, High Security looks to stalk the early pace and try and get first run at the leaders under Jareth Loveberry.

In the featured race of the evening, the $200,000 Mystic Lake Derby, another mile turf event, a Lothenbach home bred has been installed as the 7/2 morning line favorite, Captivating Moon.  Captivating Moon has reeled off three consecutive second place finishes including two in graded stakes company, the Grade 3 Transylvania and the Grade 2 American Turf.  In the Transylvania, the Malibu Moon colt was defeated by turf monster Analyze It. His string of 88 Beyer Speed Figures are the highest turf figures in the race.

Mr. Jagermeister, the Minnesota bred phenom, is coming in off a blistering 8 1/2 length win over state bred – and older – company in the 10,000 Lakes Stakes in May.  He had an easy half mile work over the turf course so trainer Valorie Lund could see how he would take to the surface change.  Pleased with the effort, he’ll look to get a mile here in his first time around two turns over the surface.

Cowboy Creed, owned by Nevada Litfin and Mark Kane and trained by Litfin, will also be trying turf for the first time.  The Jimmy Creed colt has put it together since arriving at Canterbury and seems to have improved as he stretched out last time, crushing a field of older horses going a mile on the dirt.  Cowboy Creed has drawn the attention of national pundits with Steve Byk and Jude Feld both using him as a sneaky selection in the Derby.

Eric Heitzmann’s Nobrag Justfact has reeled off two turf victories in a row, a maiden breaker at Keeneland and a first level allowance win on June 3rd at Canterbury.  Nobrag Justfact picks up the services of rider James Graham.

There are, of course, several invaders poised to disrupt the local connections’ hopes including Reride, a Steve Asmussen trained Candy Ride colt who was 3rd in Mendelssohn’s UAE Derby romp in Dubai.  The thirteen post at Canterbury, however, is a tough post to overcome with the short run into the first turn.

Speedy Curlin’s Honor is coming into the race off a second place finish in the Paradise Creek won by Gidu, a colt that made the trip to Ascot and made a respectable run in the Group 1 Commonwealth Cup earlier this week.  Curlin’s Honor will try two turns again for the first time since having a rough go of it in the Grade 2 Rebel earlier this year.

Hardboot flies in from California to take on this group for trainer Michele Dollase.  The Lucky Pulpit colt has been a different horse since she removed the blinkers, winning the Silky Sullivan at this distance at Golden Gate and then clearly second best at a mile and an eighth in the Snow Chief at Santa Anita.

A pair of $50,000 main track stakes finish up the run of stakes races at Canterbury.

The Dark Star Cup at 6.5 furlongs features last year’s winner Wings Locked Up.  Wings Locked Up has already run at Canterbury this season, taking the Honor the Hero turf sprint on June 2.

Local Malibu Max, trained by Mac Robertson and winner of the Paul Bunyan on opening weekend, looks tom be in great form heading into the Dark Star and will try and close into Wings Locked Up who clearly projects to be in front early.

Devileye, shipping in from Chicago for trainer Michele Boyce, has been very sharp in 2018 going two for two including a win last out in the Addison Cammack at Arlington, earning a 101 Beyer Speed Figure as a result.  That kind of performance here will win the race.

The stakes finale is the Hoist Her Flag going six furlongs over the main track.  Defending champion Puntsville, also a Boyce trainee, is very sharp in her return to Canterbury, cruising to a 2 1/4 length victory in the Isaac Murphy at Arlington in her seasonal debut.

Diodoro’s Fight to Glory looks to be the main obstacle in Puntsville going back to back.  Three for three in 2018 between Turf Paradise and Canterbury including  a four length romp in the L’Etoile du Nord opening weekend.

Robertson’s Thoughtless, Bravo’s Diva’s Rule and Bernell Rhone’s Shar Ran, who defeated Puntsville at Hawthorne late last year, round out the local contingent.

Also this evening at Canterbury is the Jockeys and Jeans fundraiser with a dinner, live auction, a silent auction and Hall of Fame jockeys signing autographs (after the Mystic Lake Derby) will be featured events.  Some of the jockeys participating include Pat Day, Chris McCarron, Steve Cauthen, Edgar Prado and Laffit Pincay.