SHAKOPEE, MN – A crowd of 14,101 turned out on a gorgeous day at Canterbury Park on Father’s Day for a pair of $75,000 stakes.
It’s not easy making the leap from maiden breaker to stakes winner but America Mon Amie and Rosemary Homeister Jr made it look easy in the one mile Northbound Pride Oaks over the turf.
“She worked and trained great for this race,” Homeister said. “I knew there was speed but I still rode and hustled her out to get my position.”
Homeister was able to track the pace set by favored Mizz Money who was pressured along the way by long shot My Blue Sky.
“I knew Leandro [Goncalves] was on the horse to beat,” Homeister continued. “I knew that, with him as my target, if I could keep him in my sights we had a chance to win. Once I was able to move out around them by the quarter pole, I knew it was over.”
And over it was as American Mon Amie, trained by Anthony Granitz, wore down the leaders and won by ¾ of a length over Mizz Money. She covered the mile in 1:36.58. My Blue Sky held on for third.
In the 6 ½ furlong Dark Star Cup, preceded by moving tribute to the late George “Dark Star” Chapple, a Canterbury legend and the race’s namesake, a huge move by eventual winner Pricelesscommodity through the turn put the race away.
Trained by Tim Padilla, Pricelesscommodity let Rockin Home and Picko’s Pride cut the fractions through the first half of the race. When Hugo Sanchez loosened the reins Pricelesscommodity swept around the field from 4th, about 4 lengths back, and seized the lead, steadily pulling away to win by 4 ¾ lengths in a speedy 1:16.32.
Picko’s Pride held for second while longshot Diamond Joe was third.
NORTHBOUND PRIDE OAKS
American Mon Amie 9.00 4.00 3.60
Mizz Money 2.80 2.60
My Blue Sky 5.60
DARK STAR CUP
Pricelesscommodity 7.60 4.60 3.40
Picko’s Pride 5.20 4.00
Diamond Joe 6.00
