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Canterbury Park Ready To Welcome More Fans For Racing As 2021 Season Begins

Canterbury Park's 65-day horse racing season will begin Tuesday, May 18 with track officials having high hopes for a more traditional season of racing and promotional activities. Following a 2020 season that started later than usual and offered fewer race days with strict spectator capacity limits below 1,000 due to COVID-19, officials at the Shakopee, Minn. racetrack were encouraged by Gov. Tim Walz' announcement last Thursday that lifts spectator capacity restrictions beginning Memorial Day weekend.

Canterbury will race on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 5 PM as well as Sundays beginning May 30 at 1 PM through Sept. 16. In May, capacity will be 2,500 but will increase in June.

“We are thrilled to be racing and to have more fans in the stands,” Canterbury Park President Randy Sampson said. The announcement by Gov. Walz was welcomed but more sudden than most state entertainment venues like Canterbury had expected. Many are now facing the challenge of staffing to the levels needed to be successful. “Our priority is to provide the quality guest experience that we are known for,” Sampson said. “To do that we will start with 2,500 guests and increase capacity in a responsible and safe way as we onboard more employees. I expect to welcome in excess of 7,500 to 10,000 guests as the summer progresses.”

Canterbury's marketing department made the decision this spring to release its promotional schedule and sell admission tickets month by month as guidance from the state regarding capacity became clear. Events such as Corgi Dog races, Extreme Day, and a fireworks display, which complement a day at the horse races and attract thousands of fans, are now possible and will be added to the schedule throughout the summer.

“Many of our most popular race-day events were just not operationally and financially feasible without knowing how many guests would be allowed,” Vice President of Marketing John Groen said. “We can now schedule those events that bring so much enjoyment to our fans.”

Groen plans to push many of the events to the later months of summer.

The horse racing itself will be at full stride from the start if Tuesday's opening night entries are any indication. The nine-race program drew a total of 86 horses in the body of the races and an additional nine on the also- eligible list. Racing officials expect nearly 1,500 horses to be stabled in the barn area.

Wednesday's program features a pair of $50,000 sprint stakes for horses bred in Minnesota, the Lady Slipper and the 10,000 Lakes Stakes. Hot Shot Kid and Mr. Jagermeister, the all-time leaders in purse earnings by a Minnesota-bred thoroughbred, will meet again in the 10,000 Lakes. In 2020, Hot Shot Kid defeated Mr. Jagermeister by 1 1/2 lengths. Hot Shot Kid, trained by Mac Robertson, has earned $617,961 in a 35-race career, while Mr. Jagermeister, who has started 29 times, has earned $615,434. He is trained by Valorie Lund.

More information and a complete schedule can be found at canterburypark.com. Canterbury officials are recommending that guests purchase admission tickets online for a touchless experience. A discount is offered to encourage advance purchases at: tickets.canterburypark.com.

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Minnesota Racehorse Engagement Program Promoting 2021 Ownership Opportunities

As temperatures start to rise in Minnesota, so does the excitement for the 2021 racing season at Canterbury Park. The Midwestern track, which opens on May 18, has a multitude of exciting opportunities for trainers, horses, and now future owners. Thanks in part to the relationships built with multiple ownership groups, both national and local, horse racing fans will have easy entry to the exciting experience of being a thoroughbred racehorse owner.

The Minnesota Racehorse Engagement Program (MNREP) is promoting several ownership opportunities on their website, www.RacehorseMinnesota.com, that will provide easy and affordable entry to Thoroughbred racehorse ownership in 2021.

One of these opportunities is provided by the 2021 Canterbury Park Racing Club. The Canterbury Racing Club, which was the first racing club introduced in the United States, has partnered with Wasabi Ventures Stables in 2021 to provide more horsepower via this one-of-a-kind club. Interested parties can experience owning a stable of racehorses at Canterbury Park for an all-inclusive one-time membership fee of $250. Membership offers several additional benefits at the track including free season's pass, special events, and educational opportunities.

“The Canterbury Racing Club is a great way to introduce racehorse ownership to someone who wants to experience the thrill of racehorse ownership, learn more about ownership in general, and who enjoys the sociability of being part of a group of racing fans,” explains Joe Scurto, Executive Director for MNREP.

Empire Racing Stables returns to Canterbury after finishing 2019 as the Leading Owner of the Meet. The club looks to utilize the knowledge of three high percentage winning Canterbury Park trainers: Robertino Diordoro, Bernell Rhone and Karl Broberg. The group races across the country and prides itself on organized gatherings for fun time with owners to get to know one another and enjoy the horses. Ownership opportunities start at $100.

Rocket Wrench Racing offers opportunity for new owners to enjoy the claiming game by claiming horses for their partnership while working alongside their trainer Karl Broberg. The group is made mostly of fellow Minnesotans who enjoy getting together at the track to watch their horses and support their home state's track. 5% ownership opportunities sell for $2,500.

“We look to claim horses with a proven record of success and then enter those horses in races where they can be competitive, and win,” says Rocket Wrench Racing Manager Justin Revak.

Ironhorse Racing Stable heads north for the first time, bringing their passion for success and for the horse to Canterbury Park in 2021. The group, known for campaigning multiple stakes-winning champion Bucchero and Breeders' Cup entrant Momos, is looking to start a 2-year-old at Canterbury Park for owners located in or around Minnesota, then continue racing the horse nationally, should he be successful.

“We are a no mark-up group that doesn't have management fees, but we also know how to win,” says Ironhorse Racing Stable Managing Partner Harlan Malter. “We value our partners because they're not just investors, they really are owners of the horse.”

Wasabi Ventures Stables will also offer their ever expanding ownership opportunities, aside from the Canterbury Racing Club and will be racing for the second year at Canterbury Park. Alongside trainer Tony Rengstorf, Wasabi owned horses hit the board in five out of six starts in 2020 and they look to improve on that record in 2021. Ownership with Wasabi can range from as little as a half percent to as much as 4.99 percent. Most investments start at under $200.

A recent addition to the menu of managed groups racing their horses at Canterbury this year is Grevelis Racing Stable. The longtime local group is woven into the very fabric of racing at Canterbury. Managed by Ted and Heather Grevelis, the group offers larger percentage ownership opportunities, as well as a track record of success at Canterbury dating back to 2005. Ten perecent ownership shares are listed at $2,000.

Racing kicks off at Canterbury Park on May 18 and will run through September 16. The racing partnerships are currently accepting new partners, and more information can be found on the MNREP website: http://racehorseminnesota.com.

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Over $500,000 In Participation Incentive Awards Available At Canterbury Park

Canterbury Park racing officials, with support from the Minnesota HBPA, have announced new 2021 participation incentive programs designed to reward owners that send horses ready to race at the start of the meet. In addition, trainers and owners wishing to participate at the Shakopee, Minn. track may apply for a loan to be used for the transport of horses arriving prior to the start of the 65-day season. In total, more than $500,000 will be made available to assist and support the arrival of a race-ready horse population in advance of the 2021 season which runs May 18 through Sept. 16.

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 Announces 2021 Stakes Schedule Worth Over $2 Million

Canterbury Park racing officials have announced that 27 stakes races with purses totaling $2,060,000 will be run during the 65-day 2021 race meet that begins May 18. The richest of the stakes is the $150,000 Mystic Lake Derby at one mile on the turf on June 23, part of the six-stake Northern Stars Turf Festival. Again in 2021, each of the six stakes comprising the Sept. 8 Minnesota Festival of Champions will offer $100,000 purses. All but two of the meet's stakes will be run on Wednesday evenings, when first post is 5:00 p.m.

The Mystic Lake Northern Stars Turf Festival includes four $100,000 turf races in addition to the Mystic Lake Derby. Also on that date are the Mystic Lake Mile, the Lady Canterbury Stakes, the Dark Star Turf Sprint, and the Curtis Sampson Oaks, named in honor of the late Canterbury Park founder and Chairman who died in 2020. The race previously was run as the Northbound Pride Oaks. The $60,000 MTA Stallion Auction Stakes is also June 23.

Vice President of Racing Operations Andrew Offerman has scheduled preview days to offer racing opportunities leading up to the major stakes dates. The Northern Stars Turf Festival is previewed on May 26 with three $50,000 turf stakes, the Honor the Hero Stakes, HBPA Distaff, and Brooks Fields Stakes.

“Clustering stakes races to offer high quality racing on selected Wednesdays throughout the meet will continue to strengthen Canterbury's national presence,” Offerman said.

Offerman used a similar strategy in 2020 when the track switched from traditional weekend racing that attracted large in-person crowds no longer possible during the COVID-19 pandemic to a weeknight schedule. Handle soared to a record $68 million for the 53-day meet, easily eclipsing the previous record of $48 million over 69 days in 2018.

Hall of Fame Day is July 14, offering Minnesota-breds $50,000 purses in four stakes. The Ralph Strangis Stakes and Minnesota Turf Distaff are turf routes. Three-year-olds will sprint in the Victor S. Myers and Frances Genter before stretching out in distance on Aug. 18 in the Minnesota Derby and Minnesota Oaks, each offering $100,000 and anchoring Made in Minnesota Day, which includes the $50,000 Wally's Choice Stakes and Glitter Star Stakes.

Overnight purse levels, which saw slight decreases in 2020 due to impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, will return to or exceed the levels of 2019 depending on race condition.

The race meet concludes Sept. 16. Condition books and stall applications are available now HERE. Track officials anticipate announcing a new shipping and participation incentive program in the coming weeks with the objective of attracting additional participants to Canterbury Park.

Complete Stakes Schedule

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