The race is named for Beverly R. “Peggy” Steinman, who has successfully balanced decades of ownership in both the steeplechase and flat racing worlds with stars such as Dark  Equation, who captured the 2008 G1 New York Turf Writers Cup, and Colstar, a multiple graded stakes-winning filly who won more than $1 million on the flat.

“The New York Racing Association is excited to incorporate a steeplechase event into the 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival,” said Andrew Offerman, NYRA's Senior Vice President of Racing and Operations. “We value the longstanding relationship that NYRA and the NSA have shared and are pleased to honor Peggy Steinman with this wonderful new event.”

Bill Gallo, the National Steeplechase Association's (NSA) Director of Racing, said the race is a welcome addition to the steeplechase calendar.

“Peggy Steinman has represented the National Steeplechase Association at the highest level for decades, particularly at Saratoga, where her presence alone, sitting in her prominent finish-line box, has reminded people in the industry, and especially at the New York Racing Association, that the traditions of steeplechasing run deep,” said Gallo. “This is a fitting and wonderful tribute to a very special person on an historic weekend in Saratoga. She is thrilled with the honor and looking forward to the Belmont at Saratoga Festival.”

The Steinman will kick off a 2024 jumps program on the NYRA circuit which includes seven races worth a total of $825,000. Four stakes will be held at the Saratoga summer meet topped by a pair of $150,000 Grade 1 events at 2 3/8-miles–the A. P. Smithwick Memorial July 17 and the Jonathan Sheppard Memorial Aug. 14.

Steeplechase stakes action on the NYRA circuit will conclude at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet with the $150,000 G1 Lonesome Glory and the $75,000 William Entenmann novice stakes.

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“Andrew is a seasoned executive and proven leader who will bring considerable skills to the talented team we have assembled at NYRA,” said Dave O'Rourke, NYRA President and CEO. “He is a strategic thinker who understands that horse racing is rapidly evolving, and we are pleased to welcome him in this wide-ranging new role.”

During his time at Canterbury Park, Offerman was responsible for many of the track's operational departments, including front-sire racing functions. He first joined the Shakopee track as a seasonal employee in college and was engaged full time from 2010, with increasing responsibility. After becoming Canterbury's top racing executive in 2017, he quickly deployed strategies that drove consistent and sustained increased in wagering handle and the associated revenue.

“NYRA sets the gold standard in our sport, and I am deeply appreciative of this opportunity to help shape the future of the organization,” said Offerman. “My experiences at Canterbury Park have prepared me for this next chapter and I'm thrilled it will be at the finest and most important racing organization in the country. I'd like to thank Canterbury Park and its racing community for their support throughout my tenure.”

He holds advisory and governance positions in a number of horse racing organizations including the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program (RTIP) Advisory Committee; Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America (TRA); American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Racing Committee, and Vice Chair of the Thoroughbred & Quarter Horse Breeders' Fund Advisory Committees of the Minnesota Racing Commission.

A native of Minneapolis, Offerman earned an M.S. degree from the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program and holds a B.A. from Gustavus Adolphus College.

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The bonuses are made possible with the cooperation of the Minnesota HBPA, the organization which represents race horse owners, trainers and their employees. In addition, a travel loan program will again be offered to assist with the up-front expenses of shipping a stable to Canterbury Park. Both of these programs were successfully offered last season.

“Canterbury Park and the Minnesota HBPA understand the costs associated with shipping horses from across the country to Minnesota,” Sr. Vice President of Racing Operations Andrew Offerman said. “We hope these incentives assist in offsetting the transportation costs that we know can be an impediment to shipping a stable to Minnesota.”

Average field size in May of 2021 exceeded the overall meet average by more than one-half a horse per race and average all-sources daily handle during that time was up more than 15 percent compared to the remainder of the 2021 meet, two factors which encouraged officials to continue the bonus program. The participation incentive will be paid for each start a thoroughbred makes in an overnight race during the month of May and is in addition to their regular purse earnings.

New this season is a bonus program designed to encourage owners who raced horses in Illinois during 2021 or 2022 to race at Canterbury this season. With the closure of Arlington Park in suburban Chicago, a meet which has historically overlapped with Canterbury Park's season, and Hawthorne Race Course in Cicero racing Thoroughbreds only through June 25, Canterbury officials see an opportunity to attract new stables needing a summer venue.

“We understand that owners and trainers who have historically called Arlington home are faced with challenging decisions in 2022,” Offerman said. “We respect that all horsepersons need to make the best decision for their stable and we have a desire to keep these horses within the Midwest. Canterbury Park is a great option for them to consider.”

To encourage participation, Canterbury and the Minnesota HBPA are offering an incentive that will allow owners with horses that have been previously active in Illinois to receive an additional bonus for racing in Minnesota for either the entire summer or following the Hawthorne Spring/Summer Meet. A thoroughbred starter that raced in Illinois in 2021 or 2022 but has not previously started at Canterbury will be eligible for a $1,000 bonus in their first start of the 2022 season through July 17. Eligible horses need to have recorded at least one start at Arlington Park, Hawthorne Race Course or Fairmont Park from Jan. 1, 2021 through May 17, 2022. This incentive will be in addition to the $1,000 participation bonus offered throughout May.

Shipping Loan Applications will be due with stall applications on April 4. Applications will be reviewed by the stall application committee with up to $25,000 per owner, or a maximum of $1,500 per horse, to assist in covering the cost of horse transportation. The loan will be repaid through an agreement between the successful applicant and Canterbury Park. All information, full conditions and loan applications specific to these programs, as well as the first condition book and stall application, can be found at www.canterburypark.com/horsemen.

Canterbury's 65-day season runs from May 18 through Sept. 17. Racing will be conducted on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 5 p.m. CDT and Sundays at 1 pm.

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Stakes for horses bred in Minnesota will be run primarily on Saturday evenings while open-company stakes will occur on Wednesday nights. Post time on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays is 5:00 p.m. CDT and 1:00 p.m. on Sundays.

The Mystic Lake Northern Stars Racing Festival is set for Wednesday, June 22 and features the richest race of the season, the Mystic Lake Derby, a one-mile turf race with a $150,000 purse, along with four $100,000 races: the Lady Canterbury, the Curtis Sampson Oaks, the Mystic Lake Mile and the Dark Star Turf Sprint. Also included is the $60,000 MTA Stallion Auction Stakes, bringing the stakes purse total for that night to $610,000. Last season the Northern Stars Festival, with the same races grouped on a June Wednesday, attracted a record handle of $3,795,180.

“The Mystic Lake Northern Stars Racing Festival has proven popular with connections throughout the Midwest as evidenced by last year's strong fields,” Vice President of Racing Operations Andrew Offerman said. “We plan to continually improve this event and believe that keeping it on a Wednesday evening will allow it to be uniquely featured across the country.”

The 29th Minnesota Festival of Champions, a program of races dedicated to horses bred in the state, will be Saturday, Sept. 10. The six Thoroughbred stakes will each offer a $100,000 purse.

Hall of Fame Night, with four $50,000 Minnesota-bred stakes, is Saturday, July 16. The $100,000 Minnesota Derby and Minnesota Oaks co-headline Made in Minnesota Night on Aug. 13 which also includes the $50,000 Wally's Choice Stakes and Glitter Star Stakes.

“Regarding the state-bred program, we felt it was important to move our featured Minnesota races to Saturday evenings for the benefit of the owners,” Offerman said. “We acknowledge that watching your horse in person and bringing family and friends to the races is a significant part of the experience. Running these events on Saturday evenings will accommodate that goal while also providing enhanced visibility to the wagering audience on nights when we will have large crowds.”

The first condition book and stall application, due April 4, are available at www.canterburypark.com/horsemen. A shipping and participation incentive program will be announced next week with the objective of attracting new stables to Canterbury Park and encouraging participation in the first weeks of the season.

The post Canterbury Park’s 2022 Thoroughbred Stakes Schedule Offers Over $2 Million In Purses appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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With no COVID-19 restrictions in place this season, spectators returned and daily average on-track wagering increasing by 87.1 percent to $130,304, leaving officials at the Shakopee, Minn. racetrack thrilled about the season and optimistic for the future.

“It really was an encouraging racing season,” track president Randy Sampson said. “We maintained wagering levels out of state but most importantly we saw racing fans return to Canterbury Park. Business levels increased throughout the summer which allowed us to continue to bring employees back to work and provide the race-day experience that our guests expect.”

Purse money averaged $239,365 daily, with $7.28 of the more than $15 million total contributed by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community through a cooperative marketing and purse enhancement agreement reached with Canterbury Park in 2012. SMSC owns and operates nearby Mystic Lake Casino Hotel. More than $6.6 million in purses was paid to owners of horses that were foaled in Minnesota.

“With the support of horse trainers and owners, we presented an excellent racing product which continued to attract wagering across the country,” Vice President of Racing Operations Andrew Offerman said. “We are grateful for the owners, trainers, breeders, patrons and team that contributed to this record season and we celebrate the record purse distribution of more than $15 million dollars in 2021 that will allow industry participants to reinvest their earnings into future racing prospects and support vitals components of Minnesota's agriculture industry.”

Mac Robertson won the Thoroughbred training title for the 14th time with 62 wins. Lindey Wade, riding at Canterbury for the first time, was leading Thoroughbred jockey with 80 wins, 13 more than last year's champion Ry Eikleberry. Lothenbach Stables Inc. was leading thoroughbred owner with 32 wins and $886,904 in purse earnings. Jason Olmstead continued his dominance in the quarter horse ranks, easily winning his seventh consecutive training title. Tom Maher was leading owner and Edwin Escobedo was top quarter horse jockey.

Cinco Star, trained by Robertson, was named Horse of the Meet. The 6-year-old Minnesota bred, owned by John Mentz of Lakeville, won three times this summer including the Blair's Cove and Ralph Strangis Stakes.

Thursday's 13-race card attracted $2,892,591 in wagering. Minister of Soul under jockey Luis Fuentes won the $50,000 Tom Metzen HBPA Sprint Stakes. The 7-year-old is owned and trained by Esteban Martinez.

Robertson capped the season winning the $50,000 Shakopee Juvenile, a race he has now won five consecutive times, with 2-year-old Misyneedsacocktail. The filly was ridden by Luis Negron for owner Jac Mac Stable, LLC.

Canterbury Park's 2021 Horse of the Year and divisional champions:
• Horse of the Year – Cinco Star (owner: John Mentz : trainer: Mac Robertson)
• Sprinter – Clickbait (owner: Hugh Robertson, John Mentz & Jeff Larson : trainer: Mac Robertson)
• Older Filly or Mare – Ready to Runaway (owner: John Mentz : trainer: Mac Robertson)
• Older Horse – Cinco Star (owner: John Mentz : trainer: Mac Robertson)
• Grass Horse – Cinco Star (owner: John Mentz : trainer: Mac Robertson)
• Three-Year-Old Colt or Gelding – Thealligatorhunter (owner: Pete Mattson & Tim Padilla : trainer: Tim Padilla)
• Three-Year-Old Filly – Star of the North (owner: Michael Grossman : trainer: Francisco Bravo)
• Two-Year-Old – Love the Nest (owner: Lothenbach Stables, Inc : trainer: Joel Berndt)
• Claimer – Wild Behavior (owner: Empire Racing Stables : trainer: Robertino Diodoro)
• Quarter Horse – Jess Rocket Man (owner: Lunderborg LLC : trainer: Jason Olmstead)

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The decision was made after consultation with the Minnesota Racing Commission veterinary staff and in agreement with the Minnesota HBPA.

The Wednesday program was to begin at 5:00 p.m. with 12 races, five Thoroughbred races followed by seven Quarter Horse races. With a heat index forecast to exceed 105 degrees into the early evening, racing officials opted to delay Wednesday's start until the apparent temperature is projected to subside and to cancel the first five races.

The seven quarter horse races, races 6 through 12, are time trials for the Northlands Futurity and the Canterbury Park Quarter Horse Derby. The final race is now scheduled for 10:53 p.m.

“We made the decision to delay Wednesday racing, based on the forecast of an extremely high heat index, with the safety of all participants, horses, jockeys, staff and spectators, in mind,” Vice President of Racing Andrew Offerman said. “We are confident that by 8 p.m. the temperatures will have decreased to a comfortable and safe level.”

There will be no admission charge on Wednesday. Gates open at 7:00 p.m. Indoor seating, which is also free, offers air conditioned comfort.

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Average daily handle, the amount of money wagered, increased 12.8 percent compared to 2020 and 153.2 percent compared to the first 36 days of 2019. In 2020, due to the pandemic, Canterbury ran a shortened, Monday through Thursday season and was allowed no more than 750 spectators per day. This was a deviation from the 25-year tradition of racing Thursday through Sunday with an average of 6,500 spectators.

The shift in days of the week attracted an increased national wagering audience during a timeframe with much less competition resulting in a dramatic increase in daily average out-of-state handle, a trend that continues in 2021 as Canterbury runs a hybrid schedule of Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and Tuesdays through Thursdays at 5:00 p.m. Out-of-state average handle increased by 8.3 percent over last year, and 221.8 percent over 2019, to $1.3 million per day. On-track handle, with no spectator capacity limits, is nearly double the 2020 average and down just 19.7 percent compared to the pre-pandemic 2019 season, an average racing officials are content with as spectators begin to adapt and return to post-pandemic events.

“We are very pleased with the mid-season figures,” Vice President of Racing Operations Andrew Offerman said. “We have thoroughly enjoyed the return of the energy and excitement of live racing fans although we knew there would be an adjustment period following such a dramatic schedule shift. Our participants have remarked about the renewed energy and excitement in the facility so it is clear that everyone is pleased to be getting back to normal.

“Additionally, our product has continued to be popular across the country which is very rewarding to see in the year following the pandemic. In the second half of the race meet we continue to look for ways to entertain the local live racing fan while cultivating a strong racing product for the national audience,” Offerman said.

The stability of purses paid to horse owners has been a major factor in the success of the season thus far. Purses have averaged $235,237 per day, an increase of 29.6 percent over last year when business-level decreases necessitated lower purses. The 2021 average is 4.8 percent more than 2019. The purse structure has created competiveness and an average of 7.15 starters per race, a figure consistent with the past two seasons.

“There is no doubt that our careful purse management in 2020 proved beneficial in 2021 as we have been able to return purses to their pre-pandemic levels,” Offerman said. “Our participants have responded by continuing to fill competitive race cards, a trend I anticipate will continue throughout the season.”

Offerman views the level of claiming activity as an indicator of a healthy race meet as well. There is a demand for horses and increased participation by owners with a total of 143 horses having been claimed compared to 72 and 74 in the past two seasons during the same time. A claiming race is a race in which horses may be purchased by a licensed owner for the claiming price listed for that race.
Past meet leaders congregate near the top of the thoroughbred trainer and owner standings. Robertino Diodoro and Mac Robertson vie for top trainer honors. Diodoro won three races on July 18 and has a 32 to 31 lead over Robertson. Empire Racing Stables, LLC has 15 wins, two more than 2020 leading owner Lothenbach Stables, Inc. Novogratz Racing Stables also has 13 wins.

Lindey Wade, new to Canterbury this season, is the leading jockey through 36 days, winning with 37 of 165 mounts. Alonso Quinonez has 32 wins and 2020 leading rider Ry Eikleberry has 30.

Canterbury continues to offer an industry-low 10 percent takeout rate on the $.50 Pick 5 wager and the $1 Pick 6 wager. Both the Pick 5 and Pick 6, offered daily, are traditional wagers distributing the full pool less takeout to bettors selecting the first-place horse in each leg of the wager.

Post time Wednesday and Thursday is 5:00 p.m. Information can be found at www.canterburypark.com .

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Wednesday morning, Canterbury's VP of Racing Operations Andrew Offerman joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland to talk about the track's blueprint for standing out on a lesser circuit. Calling in as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Offerman discussed the track's decision to drop its Pick 5 takeout to an industry-low 10%, what it's trying to do to attract new owners and trainers and how to still bring fans to the track in 2021.

“We've had a couple different forays into takeout reduction,” Offerman said regarding the successful Pick 5 experiment. “We did some more across-the-board cuts a few years ago, and that didn't work as well as the Pick 5 takeout reduction did. Last year, when we were kind of forced to change our business strategy from being really on-track centric to trying to focus more on off-track betting markets, we knew we had to do something to become more attractive, beyond just running through the middle of the week. So looking at our Pick 5 and trying to do something unique with that wager as it continues to grow in popularity seemed like a good opportunity. The results were great. It enhanced our visibility, did a lot for our other pools around those races and really showed us a new ability to generate interest in a pool that ended up averaging around $80,000, which for us is pretty substantial.”

Faced with the difficulty of drawing owners, trainers and horses to a relatively remote part of the country, Offerman laid out some new incentive programs Canterbury is trying out for the 2021 meet, which starts May 18.

“We've always tried to come up with unique things,” he said. “We realized that when you look at the normal areas that race across the country, Minnesota's not necessarily on their map. So we came up with an early-meet incentive program that gives everyone who starts in an open overnight race an extra $1,000 throughout the month of May to try to help offset the costs of shipping, because we acknowledge that most people have a long van ride to get here from wherever they might be during the winter. We also guarantee stipends per starter over the course of the meet. It's tiered by purse level, but starts at $200 and works its way up from there. We've also been able to offer an interest-free loan program for qualified applicants where people can basically sign a zero-interest shipping loan that they can pay back over the course of the summer.”

Elsewhere in the podcast, the writers responded to the reaction from Bill Finley's critical op/ed about horsemen's groups' suit over HISA, and, in the West Point Thoroughbreds news segment, analyzed the delinquent Ramseys story and positive returns from OBS March. Click here to watch the podcast; click here for the audio-only version.

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Owners of Thoroughbred starters in open-company overnight races during the first eight days of racing from May 18 through May 31 will earn an additional $1,000 participation bonus per start. This bonus applies to each start a horse makes during that time and will be paid directly into the owner's account through the bookkeeper's office.

“We want horses to arrive at Canterbury Park ready to enter and compete,” Vice President of Racing Operations Andrew Offerman said. “This participation bonus puts extra money in the hands of racehorse owners in addition to purse money they may earn and is designed to directly offset transportation expenses incurred to get to Minnesota.”

In 2020, Canterbury Park saw total handle increase by 68 percent despite running 21 percent fewer races. The $68.4 million in handle was a record for the track. Per starter handle was up 115 percent to $18,902. Field size averaged 7.24 thoroughbreds per race.

“It was important last year to start strong and make an impression on the national racing audience. Offering large and competitive fields accomplished that and we are prepared to build on this growth in wagering interest in 2021,” Offerman said. “The bonus not only assists owners in covering expenses at the start of the season, it grows field size and thus handle which in turn drive purses.”

Canterbury Park recently announced across the board increases in its overnight purse structure which meet or in some cases exceed 2019 overnight purses. In total, purses are anticipated to average approximately $230,000 per race day or a nearly 20 percent per day increase in 2021 as compared to 2020.

The shipping loan program is offered to qualified applicants who arrive prior to the start of the 2021 season. Shipping loan applications will be due with stall applications by April 2 and will be reviewed by the stall allocation committee which includes Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Robert Junk. The committee will authorize up to $25,000 per owner to cover the cost of horse transportation to Canterbury Park. The loan will be repaid through an agreement between the successful applicant and the track.

All pertinent documents are available at https://www.canterburypark.com/horsemen/ .

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Canterbury Park's 2020 race meet was delayed and shortened but once commencing on June 10 the meet ran uninterrupted for 53 days through Sept. 17 with limited spectators.

“We intend to run a more typical 65-day meet in 2021,” Vice President of Racing Operations Andrew Offerman said. “We have learned a lot about safely conducting a racing season during very trying circumstances. We will build on that knowledge next season knowing that there may be subsequent changes and alterations to the schedule. However, it is important for the racing industry to understand our intention to run a 65-day meet from mid-May through mid-September.”

With a capacity limit of 750 spectators in the recently concluded meet, track officials moved off the traditional Thursday through Sunday schedule and conducted racing Monday through Thursday evenings. The result was a 116 percent increase in out-of-state wagering handle. The request for 2021 is for a Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday schedule with racing on Memorial Day and Labor Day as well as Saturday, July 3.

Canterbury Park's live racing success has been predicated on live crowds averaging more than 6,500 per day generating food, beverage, handle and admission revenues crucial to supporting a race meet that employs more than 1,000 workers, the majority of which was lost in 2020.

“We fully understand the severity and serious nature of the ongoing pandemic; however we remain optimistic and are planning a 2021 season for what might be possible,” Vice President of Marketing John Groen said. “Should venues like Canterbury Park be allowed to safely increase attendance capacity, Sunday afternoon would provide an opportunity to reintroduce popular family promotions tied to live horse racing that we are known for.”

Sunday afternoon racing in 2021 would replace Mondays which produced the weakest results during Canterbury Park's 2020 meet. In past years, promotions such as corgi dog races and fireworks displays have attracted crowds three times larger than the daily average.

The 2021 schedule also includes a nine-day break to accommodate Twin Cities Summer Jam, a three-day music festival held in the racetrack infield July 22 through 24. The event was first held in 2019 but postponed in 2020 as a result of the pandemic.

The Minnesota Racing Commission, a nine-member panel appointed by the state's governor tasked with overseeing the integrity and safety of horse racing at Minnesota's two pari-mutuel racetracks, is expected to consider Canterbury's race date request at its December meeting. Minnesota Administrative Rule 7872.0100 required Canterbury Park to submit for 2021 racing dates no later than Nov. 15, 2020.

Canterbury Park's 24/7 card casino and simulcast racebook remain open daily. For more information visit www.canterburypark.com.

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