Canterbury Park will run the $100,000 Mystic Lake Derby for the ninth time on Wednesday as the richest race of the Canterbury Park Turf Festival which includes four additional turf stakes and four undercard dirt races. Trainer Michael Maker will attempt to win the one mile turf Derby for the third consecutive time. A top-five trainer nationally in both wins and purse earnings, Maker ships in Angelus Warrior from Kentucky. The 3-year-old colt has won two of six career starts, all on the turf. Angelus Warrior is the 9 to 5 morning line favorite in the seven-horse field.
Maker also saddles Ask Bailey in the $50,000 Northbound Pride Oaks and 5 to 2 morning line favorite Temple in the $75,000 Mystic Lake Mile. Florent Geroux, sixth nationally amongst jockeys in purse earnings, is named to ride all of Maker's entries.
The Mystic Lake Derby, the fifth race on the program, begins the 50 cent Pick 5 wager with an industry low 10 percent takeout. With no stakes racing at other racetracks across the country Wednesday evening, Canterbury officials expect wagering to be robust. Through 16 days of racing, the Pick 5 pool has averaged $85,232 in handle with an average payout of $21,005. On July 1 a track record $85,340 was paid to the winning ticket holder only to be surpassed the following evening when the Pick 5 returned $98,908. The wager requires the participant to select in order the winners of five consecutive races, placing the bet before the first race in the series begins.
The 28th running of the Lady Canterbury Stakes, at one mile on the turf with a purse of $75,000, could include as many as 11 starters, the largest field of the night. Geroux has also secured the mount aboard the 5 to 2 morning line favorite Winning Envelope who is owned by Robert Lothenbach of Wayzata, Minn. and trained by Chris Block. The 4-year-old filly, whose running style usually positons her at the back of the field before advancing late, has won four of 16 career races. She has been stabled at Churchill Downs this spring and summer.
Beach Flower will defend her Lady Canterbury title from the second post position. Canterbury Hall of Fame trainer Mac Robertson has named Roimes Chirinos to ride. The 7-year-old mare won this race and the Minnesota HBPA Distaff, also a one mile turf race, last summer.
Wednesday's other stakes races are the $50,000 Northbound Pride Oaks, the $50,000 Honor the Hero Stakes and the $75,000 Mystic Lake Mile.
Racing continues Monday through Thursday at the Shakopee, Minn. racetrack with a 4:40 p.m. CDT first post each day.
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