SHAKOPEE, MN – The Northern Stars Turf Festival, set for June 23, gets it’s preview day tonight at Canterbury Park. The Festival will feature five turf stakes worth over a half million dollars including the Lady Canterbury and Mystic Lake Derby. Mother Nature will be factor in the racing and handicapping this evening as rain is in the forecast for Shakopee for most of the day with particularly heavy rain forecasted for the morning hours.
The one-mile Brooks Fields will kick off the mid-card all stakes pick 3 in race four as well as the $1.00, 10% takeout, non-jackpot Pick 6. That will be followed by the one-mile Minnesota HBPA Distaff and the five furlong Honor the Hero.
$50,000 Brooks Fields – 1 Mile Turf
Mac Robertson’s graded stakes placed Two Emmys is the 9/5 morning line favorite. Last out he was a solid 2nd to Colonel Liam in the Muniz Memorial at the Fairgrounds. He has been off since that March 20 race, but has put in four works in Chicago in preparation for his local debut. He has enough speed to stay close and a stalking style that should serve Alonso Quinonez well.
Robertson also will send out stakes winner Carlos L who was an upset winner in the Temperance Hill at Oaklawn in March. This would mark his grass debut but looks like a clear threat if the weather develops as promised.
Brad Cox has multiple stakes winner Hieronymus on the rail. The Godolphin homebred 4-year-old son of Girolamo was two of three in 2020 with both wins being a pair of Fairgrounds stakes. Off for a year after a 4th place finish in the War Chant at Churchill, he resurfaced on April 10 in the Danger’s Hour at Aqueduct where he stalked the early pace but faded late. A return to his early 2020 form will make him dangerous in here. Ry Eikleberry gets the ride.
Noble Pursuit has had a meteoric rise since moving to the turf in Arizona. From breaking his maiden in a main track $7500 maiden claimer in early February, he ran off another four consecutive wins over the turf including $8500 non-winners of two, a $15,000 optional, the Wildcat and the Hasta La Vista, each race settling off the pace and making a strong run to win by several lengths at distances from a mile to nearly two. He moves into deeper water here but he’s certainly met every challenge along the way for trainer Robertino Diodoro.
2019 Brooks Fields winner, Giant Payday, will make his first start of the season for 2020 leading trainer Joel Berndt and leading owner Lothenbach Stables Inc. Though he had a winless and abbreviated 2020 season, Giant Payday was second in last year’s Mystic Lake Mile.
$50,000 Minnesota HBPA Distaff – 1 Mile Turf
Mac Robertson sends out a pair in the Distaff as well, with 2020 Dixie Belle winner, Ring Leader, will be making her turf debut after keeping company with some of the best fillies in training last year. While she had a disappointing 2021 debut at Oaklawn, showing some early speed and fading late, she had some time off and has been working regularly since early April for her return and should be considered a real threat should the race come off the grass. Alex Canchari rides.
Beach Flower, the other Robertson entry with veteran pilot Dean Butler aboard, took this race in 2019 and was fourth in last year’s Lady Canterbury stakes. She had three starts at Oaklawn before coming north, including a victory in a $75,000 Optional. She can handle both surfaces with a pair of wins over an off track, so expect her to stay in the race in either eventuality.
Clinton Stuart has the morning line favorite, the oft-claimed After Red Sun. Stuart and Claim to Fame Stable lost this horse via the claim box in June of 2020 to Karl Broberg and End Zone Athletics. Broberg was able to notch a win in two starts before the mare was claimed by trainer Wade Rarick who lost him back to Broberg after a single start. Claimed back by Stuart and Claim to Fame after another winning effort for Broberg, After Red Sun took the autumn off before debuting with a win at Sam Houston, climbing to the $40,000 optional level before faltering in the Miss Houston Turf Stakes in her last start. Alonso Quininez gets the nod in the irons for her local bow.
$50,000 Honor the Hero – 5 Furlongs Turf
A large field of ten is set to contest the Honor the Hero should the stake stay on grass, including a pair of local products, Minnesota breds Mister Banjoman and Ray’s Angel.
Robertino Diodoro, off to a fast start in Shakopee this spring, sends out Drena’s Star. While 1-4 over the grass, this gelding is in with a mighty chance should the stake be contested over the main track. On the board in every Oaklawn start this winter, the gelding has excellent early speed and the rail under jockey Lindey Wade.
Just to his outside, trainer Kerri Raven has Chess Master, a winner in a pair of allowances in Tampa – one over the turf and one off the turf over a main track rated as good. She really stepped the gelding up in class in the Grade 2 Shakertown where he finished 11th, but shouldn’t find the going as tough in here. Another who shows early speed and could press the pace.
The local contingent is led by multiple stakes winner Mister Banjoman out of the Robertson barn. Unseen last summer, Banjoman has been training since April and last season hit the board in all three turf starts against open allowance company. He’ll cut back to five furlongs for this and you can never count out a Robertson runner in a local stake. Another local product, Alex Canchari, will be aboard.
The other Minnesota bred, Ray’s Angel, third in last year’s Minnesota Sprint Championship, takes to the turf for only the 3rd time in his career. His last turf outing was a solid second against open company in a $12,000 optional claimer.
Post time for the Northern Stars Preview night is 5 PM Central time. Stay tuned in for latest Canterbury news on weather and scratches via our Twitter feed (@mwpaddockreport).
