SHAKOPEE, MN – The buzz around this year’s edition of the $75,000 Shakopee Juvenile has surrounded the fastest 2-year old (according to Beyer Speed Figures) in the country, another who registered a top 20 Beyer performance and a Minnesota bred colt that has impressed in his debut season like no other.
Amy’s Challenge, out of the Mac Robertson barn, 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. This will be her first race back since the scintillating debut though she has worked steadily, and sharply, since. Jareth Loveberry is aboard.
“She’s been training really well,” said Robertson after winning the John Bullit Stakes Friday night with Malibu Pro. “It should be a really good race. Valorie’s [Lund] Minn bred has been great. I think they’ll look each other in the eye in the stretch and I hope that I can win again.”
Soul of Discretion, 19th on top Beyer list for 2-year olds, 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. The Discretely Mine colt has logged a solid five furlong breeze since that race and retains the services of Leslie Mawing.
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 removed the blinkers next out and he rated better on the lead and crushed the Northern Lights Juvenile by 15 1/2 furlongs. Andrew Ramgeet will continue to pilot.
“I was unhappy with his pace at Prairie,” said Lund. “I thought that the half mile did him in and I didn’t want him to pressure the pace so hard so we took the blinkers off him.”
The Juvenile was originally listed as a $50,000 stake but the track put up an additional $25,000 to keep the speedsters at home plus an additional $25,000 for any Minnesota breds that can place in the race making the total available money $100,000 for this running.
Post time for the final day of racing is 12:45 for the 13 race card. Friday night’s card featured large fields, a 60-1 winner, a $7000+ superfecta payout and a trio of pick fours that paid from $935 to $5,388. Fields are full again for the finale along with the $50,000 Tom Metzen HBPA Sprint Stakes and the postponed wiener dog championship race.
