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Canterbury’s 2020 Season Sees Record Off-Track Wagering; Average Race Handle Up 114 Percent

A racing season that was postponed and shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic concluded Thursday evening at Canterbury Park with the results leaving track officials pleased, considering the race meet was in jeopardy in April. The Shakopee, Minn. racetrack conducted an uninterrupted 53-day race meet that began on June 10, a month later and 12 days shorter than originally planned.

With capacity limited to 750 spectators, when in 2019 the track averaged 6,592 daily, and race days reduced by 20 percent, wagering on track declined 65 percent to $3.7 million. Off-track wagering from across the country however increased 115.6 percent to $64.7 million. Average handle per race, perhaps the best comparison under the circumstances, increased 114 percent due to a 174 percent increase in per race out of state handle.

“We are pleased with the results of the 2020 live racing season and our record all-sources handle,” Vice President of Racing Andrew Offerman said. “Although the substantial increase in off-track handle didn't fully offset our losses in admissions, food and beverage and on-track handle revenues, the increase in exposure of our racing product and the national acceptance of it were encouraging. These off-track gains helped us salvage a mostly successful season in the midst of a global pandemic.”

Canterbury officials made the decision to pivot from a traditional schedule that included weekends to a Monday through Thursday race week designed to capture national wagering dollars when facing less competition. The gamble paid off as total handle of $68,388,504 for 53 days far exceeded the 2018 record of $48,142,704 when 66 racing programs were conducted.

Jockey Francisco Arrieta won the final two stakes of the season with victories in the $50,000 Shakopee Juvenile aboard 2-year-old filly Heart Full of Soul and the $50,000 Tom Metzen HBPA Sprint on King of the Court. Heart Full of Soul is trained by Mac Robertson and is owned by Hugh Robertson and Gregory Erwin. She defeated five colts and geldings, winning by two lengths and paying $7.00.
Robertino Diodoro trains King of the Court for owner Gary Kropp and Clayton and Rick Wiest. Arrieta and King of the Court tracked the pace, took control in upper stretch and held off a late challenge by Arcadia Calls to win by a neck. As the wagering favorite, the 5-year-old paid $5.40.

The leading Thoroughbred owner for the meet was Robert Lothenbach who won 32 races. Joel Berndt, whose primary owner is Lothenbach, won his first Canterbury training title with 45 wins. Ry Eikleberry was the leading thoroughbred jockey with 77 wins. This was his third riding title. The top quarter horse trainer was Jason Olmstead for the sixth consecutive season. He had 19 wins. Nik Goodwin won the quarter riding honors with 10 victories. Corey Wilmes was leading quarter horse owner with six wins.

Ready to Runaway, winner of four of five starts including the Lady Slipper Stakes, the Glitter Star Stakes and the Minnesota Distaff Sprint, was named Horse of the Meet. She is owned by John Mentz of Lakeville and is trained by Mac Robertson.

Canterbury Park's 2020 Horse of the Year and divisional champions:

Horse of the Year – Ready to Runaway (owner: John Mentz : trainer: Mac Robertson)
Sprinter – Ready to Runaway (owner: John Mentz : trainer: Mac Robertson)
Older Filly or Mare – Ready to Runaway (owner: John Mentz : trainer: Mac Robertson)
Older Horse – Drop of Golden Sun (owner: Rengstorf Racing LLC : trainer: Tony Rengstorf)
Grass Horse – Tut's Revenge (owner: Claim To Fame Stable : trainer: Clinton Stuart)
Three-Year-Old Colt or Gelding – Vo Fantastic Aira (QH) (owner: Corey Wilmes : trainer: Ed Ross Hardy)
Three-Year-Old Filly – Hotasapistol (owner: Gary and Brenda Bergsrud : trainer: Clinton Stuart)
Two-Year-Old – Sneeky Diversion (owner: Lothenbach Stables, Inc : trainer: Joel Berndt)
Claimer – Hotfoot (owner: Rocket Wrench Racing LLC : trainer: Karl Broberg)
Quarter Horse – Vo Fantastic Aira (owner: Corey Wilmes : trainer: Ed Ross Hardy)

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Claudio Gonzalez Secures 13th Training Title At Laurel Park

With no one in position to catch him, Claudio Gonzalez entered the final weekend of Laurel Park's extended summer meet ensured of winning its training title, but the 43-year-old cancer survivor didn't stop there.

Gonzalez sent out Robert D. Bone's 4-year-old gelding Galerio ($3.40) for his third win of the summer and sixth in nine starts dating back to February, holding off late-running long shot Crouchelli for a nose victory in Thursday's featured fourth race.

The entry-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up was the 27th win from 138 starters at the meet for Gonzalez, who will wind up tops in both categories as well as purse earnings, with $979,170 and counting. He has horses entered in two of nine races on Friday's card and four of nine races on Saturday's finale.

Damon Dilodovico was blanked with his only starter Thursday and remains second with 16 wins. Jamie Ness captured Race 7 Thursday with Bustin Hearts ($5.40) to move into a tie for third with Jose Corrales at 15 wins.

Gonzalez has now won 10 of the last 11 meets in Maryland dating back to Laurel's 2017 spring stand and owns or shares 13 titles overall. He has led the state in overall victories three consecutive years (2017-19).

“What can I say? It's a really good feeling because there are a lot of good trainers here with a lot of experience. That's why it feels good, and my whole team feels like me,” Gonzalez said. “They're working hard. They do all the hard work – my assistants, grooms, hotwalkers, exercise riders, blacksmith. Everybody works hard to make sure things go good.”

Gonzalez notched eight multi-win days during the meet, including an Aug. 13 hat trick with a trio of sophomore fillies – Landing Zone, Queen of Tomorrow and Polished Copper. The latter two are among six horses to win at least twice at the meet for Gonzalez, led by Galerio, Eastern Bay and Harpers First Ride with three each.

Laurel's summer meet began May 30 following a 2 ½-month pause in Maryland's live racing amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Gonzalez, who led a truncated winter stand with 40 wins, went 9-for-65 to start the summer before going on an 18-for-73 run since July 18.

“Every day we come and pay attention to every little thing. Little things make the difference sometimes,” Gonzalez said. “That's what I explain to everybody. We have to pay attention to everything and we're going to be OK.”

Three of Gonzalez's wins came in stakes over Labor Day weekend – the $100,000 Deputed Testamony with Harpers First Ride and $100,000 Polynesian with Eastern Bay Sept. 5, and the $100,000 Laurel Dash with Completed Pass Sept. 7.

All three horses are being pointed to stakes over Preakness weekend at Pimlico Race Course – Harpers First Ride in the historic $250,000 Pimlico Special (G3) Oct. 2, and Eastern Bay in the $250,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) and defending champion Completed Pass in the $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint on the Oct. 3 undercard of the 145th Preakness Stakes (G1).

Gonzalez expects to run multiple stakes winner Lebda in the $200,000 Chick Lang (G3) Oct. 1 and has a candidate for the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2), this year on the Preakness undercard, in 3-year-old filly Fly On Angel, upset winner of the Charles Town Oaks (G3) Aug. 28.

“They're all doing really good. They came back real good. You never know how tough it's going to be, but my horses are going to be ready,” Gonzalez said. “It's special. The Preakness is the biggest race we have here in the Maryland and it would be special to do good that weekend.”

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Floyd Wethey Rides 1,000th Winner Thursday At Remington Park

Jockey Floyd Wethey, Jr. won for the 1,000th time in his career Thursday night, winning the fourth race in wire-to-wire fashion aboard Elijah Anet at Remington Park.

Wethey gives credit for reaching the milestone to the support of those around him and riding for 14 years, relatively without injury.

“I started riding when I was 17 and I had always hoped to reach milestones like this,” said Wethey, who calls both Bluejacket, Okla. and Oklahoma City his homes. “It's a great milestone and not a whole lot of people do it. I've had a lot of help. I thank the good Lord that I have so many friends and family that support me.”

Wethey went straight to the lead in the irons of Elijah Anet and made every pole a winning one in the 5 1/2-furlong race for claiming $7,500 Oklahoma-bred horses, 3-years-old and older. They covered the distance with fractions of :21.98 seconds for the first quarter-mile, :45.48 for the half-mile and :57.93 for five furlongs before winning in a time of 1:04.64. The betting public sent the 4-year-old gelding by Silver City, out of the Anet mare Sister Anet, off at 5-2 odds and he paid $7.80 to win, $4.40 to place and $3.80 to show.

“I've ridden a lot of great horses that gave me thrills, winning Oklahoma Classics races and other stakes,” said Wethey. “I had Reel Chrome, Steal Your Face and Okie Ride and they all are very special. Hey, I even get attached to the claimers. Reel Chrome, she was tough as nails.”

He will certainly always remember one claimer, Elijah Anet.

“The meet has been great so far; (agent) Bubba (Wood) has gotten me on some good horses and I've been lucky enough to win a few,” he said. “Looking back, I've won two or three riding titles at Claremore (Will Rogers Downs) and three or four in Tulsa (Fair Meadows. I'm just going to keep on keeping on.”

Wethey began riding in 2007, winning 21 races his first year and $198,195. He quickly boosted that to 83 wins the next year with his horses winning $1,342,941. Twelve of the 14 years of riding his horses have surpassed $1 million in earnings. His biggest year came in 2018 when they banked $2,040,568. He has surpassed 100 wins in a year twice – 109 in 2009 and 103 in 2017.

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The Jockey Club Updates Rule Book; Noteworthy Changes Made To Enhance Digital Certificate-Related Activity

The Jockey Club announced today that it has updated the Principal Rules and Requirements of The American Stud Book following approval by the board of stewards of The Jockey Club.

While the changes apply to various parts of the rule book, the more noteworthy changes were made to support the Registry's operations and customers' interactions with the Registry in connection with the increased use of digital certificates of foal registration, which started with the 2018 foal crop.

The glossary of terms was expanded to include Certificate Manager and rules 2, 7, and 21 include new references to Digital Certificates or Certificate Managers.

“The updated rule book accounts for recent modernizations to the Registry that streamline processes and enhance customer convenience,” said Matt Iuliano, executive vice president and executive director of The Jockey Club. “We recommend that owners and breeders consult registry.jockeyclub.com to find the most current rules in full.”

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