SHAKOPEE, MN – Three weeks before the Minnesota Festival of Racing at Canterbury Park, the track is featuring Minnesota breds with ten races for Minnesota Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses including six stakes. The inaugural Cam Casby Futurity and the Cash Caravan will kick off the card for the Quarter Horses while older Minnesota thoroughbred turf horses will go at it in the Blairs Cove and Princess Elaine Stakes. The three year olds thoroughbreds will take center stage with the $100,000 Minnesota Oaks and Derby as the 8th and 9th races on the card.
$20,000 Cam Casby Futurity (300 yards)
In his pair of career starts, Dirt Road King has been very consistent, missing by a neck and then winning by a head, earning 64 speed index numbers for each race. He’ll break from the far outside and will retain the services of Eugenio Navarette for trainer Ed Ross Hardy.
Hardy, with four in the Casby, has another live runner on the rail with Capos Hero. Claimed by Hardy in his first career start for $10,000 at Remington Park, he came up to Minnesota and narrowly missed in a state bred maiden and then came back to win in the same spot. There is a good chance one of his bookenders takes the Casby.
Trainer Bob Johnson sends out Jess a Lil Cash who looked good in his winning debut but has been off since that effort in early June. Stormy Smith climbs aboard for Johnson.
$35,000 Cash Caravan (400 yards)
The Cash Caravan looks like another battle between the Brothers Lunderborg, Dickey Bob and Pyc Jess Bite Mydust. Big brother Jess has been unable to beat little brother Bob, consistently breaking slow but charging late and falling short.
Jess Doin Time finished between the brothers last out in the Bob Morehouse looks to be the main threat again to the top two.
$50,000 Princess Elaine Stakes (Mile 1/16 TURF)
The 2019 edition of the Princess Elaine looks very similar to the 2018 edition with the top 4 finishers back to contest the race. Throw in the 2018 Minnesota Oaks winner and the race is a wide open affair.
Defending champ Some Say So hasn’t won since last year’s Princess Elaine and has finished behind many of these in last few starts.
Moving in the opposite direction, First Hunter has hit the board in all three starts this season including a convincing win in the Minnesota Distaff Turf last out, beating several of these in the process. The extra furlong should play to her strength as well.
Firstmate, 2018 Minnesota Oaks winner, is one for one on the Canterbury turf, winning in her turf debut last out in a 7.5 furlong state bred allowance last out. She adds some distance here which shouldn’t be an issue. She also beat First Hunter in that race before First Hunter came back to win the Distaff Turf.
Honey’s Sox Appeal, last year’s third place finisher and the highest money winning filly/mare in Canterbury history, is always a threat in whatever race she enters but the distance could prove to be an issue.
$50,000 Blair’s Cove (Mile 1/16 TURF)
The nine horse Blair’s Cove looks to be a battle of the two outside horses: the venerable eight year old A P is Loose and the relative youngster, five year old Hot Shot Kid.
A P is Loose is the highest money winning horse in Canterbury history and the Kid is right on his tail. Speeding Kid was fourth in this race last year behind A P but the Kid turned the tables in the Minnesota Turf prevailing by 3/4 of a length. The extra distance should benefit the old man but the kid hasn’t tried over a mile since last October at Keeneland.
The relative lack of pace could compromise the chances of late closer Where’s Jordan. Twoko Bay closed sharply in the Minnesota Turf but closed into quick early pace. The extra distance won’t be an issue for either but the shape of the race may not play to their strengths.
It is unclear just how good Drop of Golden Sun is, but the 4-year old is undefeated in state bred company this year, really coming into his own after his maiden breaker. His last race, where he finished 2nd but placed first after a disqualification, was particularly sharp tracking the pace before striking to the lead but getting caught late. That one was an open optional over the turf going a mile. An interesting long shot play.
$100,000 Minnesota Oaks (Mile 70 yards DIRT)
A nice field of nine Minnesota bred fillies will take to the track for the Oaks in the 8th. The morning line favorite is Ready to Runaway. After a pair of 2nd place allowance finishes to start the season, Ready to Runaway was dropped into the claiming ranks where she trounced but was taken from Empire Racing and Bernell Rhone by John Mentz and Mac Robertson. She came back to win the Frances Genter in gate to wire fashion, easily holding off Grand Prize by 4 1/4 lengths while earning a field best 74 Beyer Speed Figure in the process.
Grand Prize hasn’t missed the exacta in her five career starts and, similar to the Blair’s Cove rivals, actually beat Ready to Runaway in a state bred allowance earlier in the meet before Runaway turned the tables in the Genter.
Dangerous Wave will be trying to win another Minnesota Oaks for Rake Farms and Bernell Rhone. The Northern Lights was slow to return to the races this season and only had her first race on July 4 where she finished 3rd in the Genter. Though soundly beaten, it was her first race in ten months and she certainly needed the trip around the track. She’s certainly eligible to improve and should not have an issue stretching out.
Lila’s Lucky Lady is the only filly in the field with a win at two turns, albeit in a state bred $25,000 claiming race in the mud. However the experience is important, she’s shown she can handle the distance and came back at a mile on the turf so fitness should not be an issue.
While Ready to Runaway looks tough, there is pace to challenge her early and several that should be running at her late in her first route effort.
$100,000 Minnesota Derby (Mile 70 yards DIRT)
This year’s edition of the Derby is looking one of the more competitive in several years. The very quick Mister Banjoman has been a scintillating sprinter and now stretches out for the first time. The multiple stakes winner was the winner of the Shakopee Juvenile last year as well as a convincing gate to wire victory in the Vic Myers. The only blemish this season was a poor effort in the slop in the Honor the Hero – something to keep in mind should the skies open up this afternoon.
Myers runner up, Dame Plata, was hard pressed to get close to Banjoman in the race but was still strong late and should get better with more ground. Francisco Arrieta takes the reins from Jareth Loveberry for the Derby.
Minnesota Miracle is the only one of two horses in the race that has won over a route of ground, taking a one mile off-the-turf allowance gate to wire under regular rider Quincy Hamilton. Hamilton took the mount on Astronaut Oscar leaving Minnesota Miracle in the capable hands of Ry Eikleberry.
The other horse to win at a route is turfer Lucky Ducky. He is back on the dirt for the first time since May 24 when he broke his maiden going a mile here in an off-the-turf, state bred, maiden special weight. Though his last three efforts were back over the turf, Lucky Ducky can handle the dirt and has only gone two turns since the end of his 2-year old season. This will be his tenth start of 2019 for the off the pace type.
Astronaut Oscar, third in the Myers, bounced back after that race to take a state bred allowance sprint. Oscar is another with a front running style.
El Tizar disappointed in his local debut after scoring a maiden special weight win at Churchill Downs in his first trip to the race track. He was fifth in the Myers.
The Derby should come down to whether or not any of the accomplished three year olds will relish a trip around two turns. With so much pace expected in the race, Lucky Ducky could be in a position to upset.
There is a special post time of 5:07 PM this evening for the ten race card. Keep an eye on the weather because there is a possibility that the off-track form of some of these contenders could come into play later on the card.
