Trio of Stakes Over Closing Weekend
The $75,000 Shakopee Juvenile will highlight the 26-race closing weekend at Canterbury Park Friday and Saturday.
The Juvenile will be run on Saturday and features a filly out of the Mac Robertson barn, Amy’s Challenge, that has recorded the highest Beyer Speed Figure of any two year old in the country, a 91 in her debut on August 9 at Canterbury. A $20,000 October Fasig Tipton sale purchase by Novogratz Racing Stables, the Artie Schiller filly was dominant in that race, opening up a three length lead early and extending that to 16 1/2 in the 5 1/2 furlong Maiden Special Weight.
Another on the Beyer Speed Figure top twenty list, Soul of Discretion, will start just inside of Amy’s Challenge in the Juvenile. Equally as impressive in his debut as the filly, the Yeamans Racing Stable LLC homebred earned an 85 in his 13-length romp on August 25 for trainer Dan McFarlane.
Rounding out an impressive trio is the Minnesota bred Mr. Jägermeister. Mr. Jägermeister is owned by trainer Valorie Lund and her sisters, Leslie Cummings and Kristin Boice and was bred by Boice. Mr. Jägermeister dominated in his debut, trouncing a field of Maiden by 11 1/2. He set blistering fractions in the Prairie Gold Juvenile at Prairie Meadows, going five panels in :57, before giving way in the final furlong to finish second. Lund equipped him with blinkers next out when he rated better on the lead and crushed the Northern Lights Juvenile by 15 1/2 furlongs.
Supporting the Juvenile on Saturday will be the $50,000 Tom Metzen HBPA Sprint while Friday night will feature the $60,000 John Bullit Stakes.
Nolan, Butler Recovering, Visit Track
Injured jockeys Paul Nolan and Dean Butler were spotted visiting at Canterbury Park Saturday.
Nolan, confined to a wheelchair for the moment, was in good spirits visiting the jock’s room.
He has some movement in a foot and hand and was told early on that recovery could take a year or longer.
“Day by day,” he said of the rehabilitation. Nolan is working hard on his rehabilitation and showcases a gritty determination when discussing his recovery. If all goes well, he could be home in mid-November but will continue therapy and rehabilitation.
Butler had just put 5000 miles on his truck traveling throughout the southeast and had landed back in the Twin Cities a few days prior to surgery Wednesday to remove the aneurism discovered after his spill that fractured three vertebrae.
“My back doctor said I may be able to start back riding on November 1, but that could vary some either way,” said Butler.
Titles to Be Determined
Going into closing weekend, Jareth Loveberry holds a four win lead over Orlando Mojica in the jockey’s standings. Loveberry has 25 mounts for the weekend while Mojica has 20.
Curtis Sampson (16) has a two race lead over Novogratz Racing Stables and a four win lead over Lothenbach Stables. Sampson has nine entries over the weekend, Novogratz eight and Lothenbach three.
The training title will be won by Mac Robertson with a dominant 27 win lead heading into the weekend. Robertson has led from nearly start to finish this season. He currently has 62 wins.
