SHAKOPEE, MN – Canterbury Park closed out the 2018 season with a 14 race card that included a pair of stakes races: the $60,000 MTA Stallion Auction Stakes and the $75,000 Shakopee Juvenile.
In the MTA Stallion Auction Stakes, all the money was on Speeding Kid. The three year old son of Law Enforcement sat back and waited down the back stretch of the 6.5 furlong race and waited for Leslie Mawing to ask him to run.
“I knew I had the horse,” said Mawing, “and I just had to run a smart race.”
Mawing asked Speeding Kid to make his move entering the far turn and went three wide to seize the lead and never looked back.
The odds on favorite kicked clear and paid $2.40 for the win. Over $90,000 of just over $100,000 was wagered on Speeding Kid to show and he returned to the bridge jumpers the obligatory $2.10.
Dancin Nicky, who tried to jump the field early, was able to hang on for second and paid $4.40. Water Patrol ($3.00) was third.
The six furlong Shakopee Juvenile had a lot to live up to after last year’s stirring duel between 2017 Canterbury Horse of the Year Amy’s Challenge and multiple stakes winner Minnesota bred star Mr. Jagermeister. Mister Banjoman, also a Minnesota bred, and Topper T did their best to re-enact that finish – this year the Minnesota prevailed.
Mister Banjoman broke alertly and played catch me if you can with the field, repelling one challenge after another until, turning for home, Topper T loomed on the outside and Kenai Bob on the inside.
After some erratic movement through the lane that resulted in an objection by Israel Hernandez aboard Kenai Bob against the winner, Mister Banjoman survived a head bob that even his jockey, Jareth Loveberry, thought he lost, congratulating Dean Butler on his win aboard Topper T.
“I really thought that the outside horse came and got me,” said Loveberry. “We opened a little bit fast but he was enough horse to hang on today.”
After the Canterbury stewards reviewed the stretch run and determined that there was no interference, the result was official and Mister Banjoman returned $3.80 to his backers for the win. Topper T paid $5.00 to place and Kenai Bob ($7.80) was third.
Minnesota bred Mister Banjoman was a $200,000 Fasig Tipton October purchase. He covered the six furlongs in 1:10.27.
