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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Summer Assault Wins Mystic Lake Derby At Canterbury Park

Jockey Jareth Loveberry had a very good night at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn. He won the $100,000 Mystic Lake Derby on the Summer Front gelding, Summer Assault, for trainer Michele Boyce and owners Kevin Marko, Last Call Racing Partnership, Union Park Thoroughbreds and Cherrywood Racing Stables II. He also won the $50,000 Honor the Hero Stakes, going gate to wire in 54.77 seconds aboard favorite Wellabled while setting the five furlong turf record.

Summer Assault beat favorite Angelus Warrior by one length, riding the rail to the finish line, covering one mile on the firm turf in 1:34.15, the fastest time in nine renditions of the race. “He sat nice and relaxed off the pace,” Loveberry said. “He was a little hesitant when we [turned] for home. But he took off and finished strong. He finished good.” Summer Assault paid $6.40 to win.

Wellabled, who paid $3.20 to win, is trained by Larry Rivelli for owner Carolyn Wilson. Chief Cicatriz finished second by one-half length while making his first turf start for trainer Shawn Davis.

Tut's Revenge and rider Roimes Chirinos tracked pacesetter Primo Touch before taking the lead in upper stretch and holding off challenges from favorite Temple and second-place finisher Giant Payday to win the $75,000 Mystic Lake Mile by a head in 1:33.17, a course record time for one mile on the turf. Tut's Revenge is trained by Clinton Stuart for Claim To Fame Stable. He paid $12.80 to win.

Streak of Luck wired the $75,000 Lady Canterbury field, ridden by Leandro Goncalves. The 5-year-old gray mare paid $14.80 to win. She is owned by Carrie Brogden, James Keogh and Roncelli Family Trust and is trained by Kelly Ackerman.

“She broke sharp. I couldn't believe I was going so easy and nobody came up to me,” Goncalves said. “I was thinking like, wow, they're going to be in trouble. When I called on her she took off. She was just much the best today.”

Ask Bailey won the one mile on the turf $50,000 Northbound Pride Oaks, charging from last to first and drawing away to win by 4 1/4 lengths under Francisco Arrieta for trainer Michael Maker. The betting favorite returned $4.60. Arrieta secured the mount when jockey Florent Geroux, sixth nationally in purse earnings, received a positive test for COVID-19 and was unable to travel to Shakopee.

Handle for the nine race program was $2,162,165, the largest total through 19 days of the race meet.

 

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Canterbury Park Turf Festival Offers $350,000 In Purses On Wednesday

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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