Canterbury Park Will Offer Incentives To Race-Ready Thoroughbreds When Meet Begins May 18

Canterbury Park racing officials announced Wednesday several incentive programs designed to reward owners of thoroughbreds that arrive in Shakopee, Minn. ready to enter and run when the meet begins May 18. Notably, a $1,000 bonus will be paid to the owner of any horse that races during the month of May. This bonus is in addition to any purse money earned.

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.

Source of original post

Large Fields, Low Takeout Wagers Greet Horseplayers For Tuesday’s Canterbury Park Opening

Canterbury Park's 65-day Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse race meet, which begins Tuesday, May 18, attracted 248 entries in 27 races, not including 12 also-eligible entries, for the first three days of the season. With nine Thoroughbred races each on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the Shakopee, Minn., track, field size averages 9.2 horses per race.

Exceptional participation by trainers can be attributed to a population of more than 1,100 Thoroughbreds and a $1,000 bonus, paid directly to the owner of each starter. The horse population is expected to increase over the coming weeks while the bonus extends to all open overnight races during the month of May.

“I have a feeling this is going to be a great meet,” racing secretary Rob Junk said. “We have a lot of trainers returning, and some new stables as well. I expect they came to race.” Mac Robertson, leading trainer in 13 previous Canterbury Park meets, has entered 19 horses opening week. Canterbury mainstays Mike Biehler, Tony Rengstorf, Troy Bethke and Bernell Rhone have a strong presence as has been the case for more than 25 seasons. Robertino Diodoro, who last year had fewer horses than past meets, this summer intends to fill more than 50 stalls. Joel Berndt, 2020 leading trainer, also will have a full barn in Shakopee this summer.

Trainer Justin Evans, unseen at the Shakopee, Minn. racetrack since 2008, returned with 25 horses. Dick Cappellucci and Bennie Woolley, Jr., winner of the 2009 Kentucky Derby with Mine That Bird, have stables at Canterbury for the first time.

Track officials announced in April that a $.50 Pick 5 wager with an industry-low 10 percent takeout would return to the 2021 the wagering menu. The industry-low takeout rate was introduced last year and the success of that wager led officials to introduce a traditional $1 Pick 6 also with an industry low 10 percent takeout.

In 2020, the Pick 5 averaged $79,500 in wagering handle per pool and totaled more than $4.1 million throughout the season. Both were substantial increases over 2019 when the wager attracted an average Jackpot Pick 5 Pool of $8,366 and season-total wagering of slightly more than $550,000.

Canterbury Park all-sources handle in 2020 amounted to $68.4 million, easily setting a Canterbury Park record by more than $20 million in total handle and an increase of 68 percent over the prior year, all while conducting 12 fewer days of racing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, average daily handle increased in 2020 by a staggering 110 percent when compared to the 2019 meet.

Twenty-one jockeys were listed on the overnight for May 18 not including last season's leading rider Ry Eikleberry who will serve a three-day suspension stemming from a riding foul occurring at the end of the 2020 season. Several accomplished riders have joined the colony including journeymen Lindey Wade, Ty Kennedy and multiple graded stakes winning rider Ruben Fuentes who most recently rode at Santa Anita.

Racing will be conducted Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 5 p.m. CT and select holidays and Sundays at 1  p.m. CT through Sept. 16. More information is available at canterburypark.com.

The post Large Fields, Low Takeout Wagers Greet Horseplayers For Tuesday’s Canterbury Park Opening appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights