Canterbury Park's leading jockey Harry Hernandez won five of the 10 races Saturday on the Minnesota Festival of Champions program for state-breds, including three of the evening's six stakes.
Hernandez's first stakes victory came in the $75,000 Blair's Cove Minnesota Turf Championship for 3-year-olds taking Jose Patio (by Cinco Charlie) gate to wire for trainer Mike Biehler and owners Barry and Joni Butzow. His second stakes win was aboard prohibitive favorite Midnight Current (by Midnight Lute) in the $75,000 Princess Elaine Distaff Turf for trainer Joel Berndt. The two teamed up again to win the $100,000 Northern Lights Futurity with Frosty View (by Frosted).
Both Midnight Current and Frosty View are owned and were bred by Bob Lothenbach's Lothenbach Stables Inc, the leading owner at the Shakopee, Minn. racetrack. Berndt and Lothenbach have now won the Northern Lights Futurity four consecutive years. Jose Patio paid $10.60 to win, Midnight Current $2.60, and Frosty View $6.80.
Hernandez, last season's top rider, also won two turf allowance races for trainer Tony Rengstorf guiding West Island and Sunshine Fever to victory.
Berndt and Lothenbach found the winner's circle again with Charlie's Penn, who won the $75,000 Bella Notte Distaff Sprint by 4 3/4 lengths with Lindey Wade riding. The 5-year-old Race Day mare beat favorite Cupids Crush and jockey Eduardo Gallardo, who was riding for Xtreme Racing Stables LLC and trainer Mac Robertson. Charlie's Penny, who won the Bella Notte in 2022, paid $6.60.
Gallardo, Xtreme Racing, and Robertson won earlier on the card with Xtreme Diva in the $100,000 Northern Lights Debutante. The 2-year-old Coal Front filly, who paid $2.80 as the favorite, covered six furlongs in 1:10.89, much faster than the 2-year-old gelding Frosty View whose final time was 1:12.33.
The fastest six furlongs of the night was recorded by Doctor Oscar who won the $75,000 Crocrock Sprint by six lengths in 1:09.66 under jockey Alonzo Quinonez. The 4-year-old Shackleford colt is trained by Tim Padilla and is owned and was bred by Pete Mattson. Doctor Oscar was favored and paid $3.00.
Handle for the 10-race Minnesota Festival of Champions card was $1,431,366, the fourth largest handle total in the event's history.
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