SHAKOPEE, MN – The early overcast skies are expected to give way to some sun and make for a lovely afternoon of racing closing day at Canterbury Park Saturday.  The very full eleven race card is highlighted by the $40,000 Tom Metzen HBPA Sprint and the $75,000 Shakopee Juvenile.

The six furlong Juvenile drew a field of eight diverse fillies, colts and geldings including a well regarded first time starter, an undefeated filly and a morning line favorite with an impressive debut win.

The morning line favorite is trainer Gary Scherer’s Jack Snipe’s.  Nik Goodwin is aboard again after guiding the gelding to a gate to wire debut victory where he was headed by rival He’s Munnie, who he faces again today, but fought on and securing the one and a half length victory.

Shipmate, an undefeated Minnesota bred filly and winner of the Northern Lights Debutante on Festival Day, will try and keep her undefeated streak intact while attempting to be the first state bred horse to take the Shakopee in its brief history.

The Cheryl Sprick and Richard Bremer homebred has only been behind at one call during her three race career and will once again have Canterbury Hall of Famer Scott Stevens in the irons for trainer Karl Broberg.

Robertino Diodoro will lead Big Tufff Z to the post for the first time in the Shakopee.  The son of Pioneerof the Nile out of the Malibu Moon mare Nakiska Moon has been drilling consistently for his debut and is 5-1 on the morning line.

He’s Munnie is the other maiden in the field and has been a bridesmaid to several of these at Canterbury while finishing second three times in four career starts.

Preceding the Shakopee Juvenile will be the newly renamed Tom Metzen HBPA Sprint named in honor of the late long-time head of the Minnesota HBPA who passed away last month.  It is a fitting way to remember a man who dedicated his life to horse sand the people and horses that made up the industry here in Minnesota and Arizona.

As you would expect, there is plenty of speed in the Metzen with the Diodoro pair of Unstoppable Colby and Candy Ruby expected to be out fast as well as Rocking Home.  The track has played fast most of the year but appears to be a bit more fair as it dries out from mid-week rains.

Diodoro’s third entry in the race, Storm Power, will look to try and track that early pace and take advantage of any slackening up front for his stablemates and others like Rockin Home who may join them.

Storm Power have to get by a few that should be between he and the leaders as the leading trainer Mac Roberton’s Superstar Leo was a very impressive tracking winner in his Canterbury debut. He was able to sit just off the early pace and stormed past today’s rival Priceless Commodity to win by a solid two lengths in a $34,000 open allowance.

Shrewd Move is another than will vie for first run at the early leaders though his most impressive races at Canterbury have been over sloppy racetracks.

Should the pace meltdown completely, Storm Power will have to outlast Dixie Surge to get to the wire first.

Post time for the 11 race card is 12:45 PM.