Randy Sampson | Horse Racing Free Tips

Sampson Named Jockeys and Jeans Person of the Year

Randy Sampson, CEO and Chairman of Canterbury Park, has been named Jockeys and Jeans 2022 Person of the Year. Sampson is a member of the Jockeys and Jeans organizing committee and has been helpful in advising it on track relations and fundraising. Canterbury Park, the track he and his family own in Shakopee, MN, hosted the 2018 Jockeys and Jeans Fundraiser, raising $268,000.

Sampson will accept the award at the eighth annual Jockeys and Jeans fundraiser July 2 at Churchill Downs.

“Of course, I am truly honored,” Sampson said. “But there are likely some out there who more deserve the recognition. But it is not about recognition, it's about the opportunity to speak for and help disabled former riders.”

Jockeys and Jeans President, Barry Pearl called Sampson, “a Godsend.”

“Not only have he and the track been major contributors, he is a roll up your sleeves type of guy who not only knows how to get a lot of things done but is willing to spend the time to get them done,” Pearl said.

Jockeys and Jeans, an all-volunteer group founded by five former jockeys, has raised over $2 million for Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

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Canterbury Park Requests 65 Race Dates For 2022

Canterbury Park officials intend to offer 65 days of live horse racing in 2022. A request for a meet that would run Wednesday, May 18 through Saturday, Sept. 17 has been submitted for approval to the Minnesota Racing Commission. Purses are projected at $225,000 per day, similar to the 65-day 2021 season.

In 2021, all-sources wagering reached a record $90.9 million with racing conducted Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons, surpassing the $68.4 million record set in 2020 when 53 days of racing were conducted. The 2022 request would replace Tuesdays with Saturday evening racing programs while continuing Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday programs. Racing would begin at 1:00 p.m. on Sundays and 5:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Sunday afternoon out-of-state wagering in 2021 exceeded company officials' expectations with an average $894,736 in off-track handle, nearly triple the pre-pandemic 2019 figure when the Shakopee, Minn. track last conducted Sunday programs. The success in maintaining wagering levels with the shift to Sundays in 2021 leads to optimism amongst track officials about the possibilities regarding the return of Saturday racing, absent since 2019.

“Canterbury Park has been successful over the past two seasons in drawing the interest of the national horseplayer through running a race schedule focused on the less competitive days of the week and by providing a strong value proposition for the wagering dollar,” company president Randy Sampson said. “In 2022, we plan to continue to offer a strong wagering proposition at opportunistic times in the weekly calendar while making it easier for our passionate on-track fan base to return to the races by adding Saturday evening programs,” Sampson said.

Canterbury first experimented with weeknight-only racing in 2020 when pandemic restrictions caused a delay to the start of the race meet with severe limitations on attendance. National handle soared as a result. Mondays were eliminated last season in favor of Sunday afternoons.

The 2022 schedule also includes a nine-day break from July 18 through July 26 to accommodate Twin Cities Summer Jam, an annual multi-day music festival held in the racetrack infield.

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 requires Canterbury Park to submit its request for 2022 racing dates no later than November 15, 2021.
Canterbury Park's 24/7 card casino and simulcast racebook remain open daily. For more information, visit www.canterburypark.com .

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Canterbury Season Concludes With Record Total Handle Of Over $90 Million

Canterbury Park's live horse racing season came to a conclusion Thursday night, producing record wagering figures while returning $15,558,701 in purses, the most ever in a single meet, to horse owners, jockeys and trainers, fueling an industry that supports thousands of jobs across the state. Wagering was robust during the 65-day season, 12 race days more than the pandemic-shortened 2020 meet, with a record total handle of $90,888,787, spurred by an average daily out-of-state handle of $1,267,985, a 3.9 percent rise over last year and a 178.9 percent increase over 2019. The 2021 total surpassed the previous Canterbury Park record of $68.4 million set last year.

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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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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