SHAKOPEE, MN – The Canterbury Turf Festival presented by Mystic Lake will take place on Wednesday evening at the Shakopee, MN oval. Five stakes will be contested, all over the turf course: $50,000 Northbound Pride Oaks; $75,000 Mystic Lake Mile; $100,000 Mystic Lake Derby; $75,000 Lady Canterbury; and the $50,000 Honor the Hero.
While the weather on Tuesday looks dicey, the forecast calls for a mostly clear and dry day on Wednesday.
Jockey Florent Geroux, scheduled to ride a contender in nearly every stake, has tested positive for COVID-19 and will not make the trip to Shakopee. We’ll bring you the new mount assignments when we know.
With the situation evolving every day, we will bring you any updates as they become available.
Race 3 – NORTHBOUND PRIDE OAKS – One Mile
The 2-1 morning line favorite, Urban Fairytale, is a Minnesota owned (Winchester Place Thoroughbreds), Virginia bred, daughter of distorted humor. Last out the $250,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase broke her maiden over the Gulfstream Park turf, sitting slightly off the pace and closing to score by 3/4 of a length in her 2020 debut.
Trainer Michael Maker is sending up Ask Bailey from Kentucky where she has been working well for her first race of 2020. After breaking her maiden at Ellis, she finished 2nd in the Juvenile Fillies at Kentucky Downs and then followed that up with a 3rd in the Grade 2 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland. After faltering in a Churchill allowance, she was given the rest of the year off and is using the Northbound Pride to launch her sophomore campaign.
Several in the race will be attempting the turf for the first time including the Minnesota bred Frances Genter Stakes champ Defend the Rose, the swift Delia O’Hara and the stakes placed Smart N Wicked. All three will also be trying two turns for the first time.
Machos Vision is a stakes winner at two in the one mile Slide Show for Oklahoma breds. She tried the turf for the first time in her 2020 launch over the Canterbury turf and ran third after gaining the lead through the turn against older, only losing by 3 3/4 to veteran stakes winner Some Say So in the 5 furlong race.
Rounding out the field is Lilfeatheredindian, a maiden winner last out on the turf after a dismal Oaklawn Park meet, earning a career best 66 Beyer Speed Figure in the process. She is co-owned by the Original Canterbury Racing Club 2020 and Nevada Litfin and will mark the first time that the first track sponsored racing club in the nation will have a starter in a stakes race.
Race 4 – MYSTIC LAKE MILE
Defending champion, Nobrag Justfact, headlines the eighth edition of the Mile. In 2019 trainer Eric Heitzmann geared up the five year old The Factor horse with a pair of races while this year the Mile will be his first start of 2020. (SCRATCHED)
Michael Maker has Temple, a four year of Temple City gelding in the Mile. Maker claimed Temple in July 2019 for $35,000 at Gulfstream Park and has only missed the board twice since – both in graded stakes – while also winning the Gio Ponti Stakes at Aqueduct.
An interesting gelding making his turf debut in the Mile is the Karl Broberg trained Hunka Burning Love. Since being claimed for $32,000 at Oaklawn, the gelding has reeled off four consecutive victories including the $75,000 Lone Star Mile in his last start. Into Mischief gets 15% turf route winners while his dam has had none in limited starts. The front runner should inject some pace in the race. (SCRATCH)
Broberg’s other entry, Don’task Don’ttell, will be first off the claim (27%) and is more of an off the pace type. He was claimed at Lone Star for $20,000 off a turf victory. (SCRATCH)
Race 5 – MYSTIC LAKE DERBY One Mile
Maker again has the horse to beat. Angelus Warrior is improving with each race, having just captured a first level allowance at Churchill after a seasonal bow game second in the same spot. Both efforts came from off the pace.
Summer Assault will be making his first start in six weeks after a brief break following a cruising gate to wire win at Tampa in a $75,000 optional claiming race. His front running style is a direct contrast to the morning line favorite Angelus Warrior and could prompt quite a finish in the lane.
Creative Plan is coming in off back to back wins. Claimed out of a mile turf race at Fairgrounds for $30,000 by Karl Broberg for M and M Racing in which he scored a convincing victory. Losing the maiden condition was not an issue as the gelding came right back to win a non-winners of two allowance at Lone Star.
Local owner Winchester Place Thoroughbreds has homebred Bayou Prospector breaking from the inside in the Derby. After an off the pace maiden win, he followed that up with a front running effort where he was caught late in a $50,000 optional claimer, both at Gulfstream Park.
Race 7 – THE LADY CANTERBURY One Mile
Another defending champion, Beach Flower, returns to defend her title. A winner near the lead last year, she’s notched a couple of races in Arkansas to start her year but has been idle since April 30. Her work pattern has been solid and steady and she has a pair of wins, both stakes, over the Canterbury grass.
However the morning line favorite is Winning Envelope. Minnesota owned by Lothenbach Stables, the More than Ready filly kicked off 2020 with a stakes victory in the Jersey Lilly. Although she had issues in the Grade 3 Mint Julip, she came back strong in a Churchill allowance, just missing by half a length. She has been campaigning in stakes and grade stakes the last year and a half and, if on her game, will be tough to beat here.
Aife is coming into the Lady Canterbury having won two of three at the Fairgrounds, though she hasn’t raced since March 5. She has been training well in Kentucky and will employ the top local jock, Ry Eikleberry, for her start.
Minnesotan Firstmate, bred by Rick Bremer and Cheryl Sprick and owned by Barry and Joni Butzow, scored a closing victory in the Minnesota Distaff, charging up the rail to beat Ready to Runaway by a neck.
Race 8 – HONOR THE HERO STAKES Five Furlongs
A pair or early defections have dropped the field from nine to seven with Mister Banjoman and Uncle Goyle both re-entered for next week at Canterbury.
A pair of stakes winners stand out in the Honor the Hero field: Chief Cicatriz and Wellabled.
Wellabled was installed as the 7-5 favorite. The six year old bay son of Shackleford has won 50% of his fourteen starts. After being off nearly 15 months, Wellabled signaled his willingness to race again by romping by nine in a $50,000 optional claiming race at Arlington, earning a 106 Beyer Speed Figure in the process. He was third and a winner in a pair of Churchill allowances prior to the Honor the Hero and he will put all the pressure on the field as his running style is one dimensional – play catch me if you can.
Like Wellabled (2016 Arlington-Washington Futurity), Chief Cicatriz is a Grade 3 (Aristides) and multiple stakes winner. He’ll look to track Wellabled closely and see if he has enough in the lane.
Post time for the Canterbury Turf Festival presented by Mystic Lake is 4:40 PM. Limited public access is available by reservation only at the Canterbury Park website.
