Canterbury Park will host the 33nd running of the Minnesota Festival of Champions on Saturday. The Festival began in 1992 with purses dedicated to horses bred in the state and is the centerpiece of racing each season at the Shakopee, Minn. racetrack. The eight-race program begins at 5:10 p.m. CDT. Canterbury’s Pick 5, with an industry low 10 percent takeout, will begin in the fourth race.
As is customary, trainer Mac Robertson, the all-time leader in Festival of Champions wins with 43, is well represented with seven entrants in four of the stakes. Robertson has two in the $55,000 Princess Elaine Minnesota Distaff Turf at 1 1/16 miles, Call’em All and two-time defending champion Cupids Crush (pictured above) who is 3 to 5 on the morning line. He trains Victorious Vanda in the $55,000 Blair’s Cove Minnesota Turf and in the $55,000 Crocrock Minnesota Sprint he has 2025 winner Distorted Pro, Towner Too and It’s Bobs Business. In the evening’s final race, the $55,000 Bella Notte Distaff Sprint, Robertson entered Minnesota Oaks winner Heavenly Captive who faces the odds-on favorite Thunders Rocknroll.
The Northern Lights Debutante and Northern Lights Futurity, both for 2-year-olds at six furlongs, offer an $80,000 purse. The Debutante field of five fillies is led by Rhyme Away for trainer Troy
Bethke and owner Carin Offerman. Leading rider Manuel Americano has the mount on the 2025 Minnesota Yearling Sale sales topper. Rhyme Away broke her maiden June 28 winning by 9 1/2 lengths while recording the fastest 4 1/2 furlong time of the meet. In her July 25 start at Prairie Meadows she finished second in the Iowa Stallion Futurity.
“Even going back to breaking her, she was smart to break. She was doing everything right,” Bethke, who won the Debutante in 1995 and in 2005, said.
“Anytime you can win a bigger race like that it’s fun. It’s good for the owners, you make a little money, it’s a little credibility for the horse and the whole barn, everybody that’s involved. There’s a lot of people involved besides the trainer.”
Nine are entered in the Northern Lights Futurity. Merit Badge will make his first local start after a maiden breaking win at Horseshoe Indianapolis Aug. 5. The son of Mitole is trained by Anna Meah and owned by his breeders Cheryl Sprick and Richard Bremer. Americano has the mount.
Trainer Joel Berndt won the Futurity four consecutive years from 2020 to 2023. He will saddle Strike One More, who broke his maiden in his second career start, for owner Suzanne Stables with Eduardo Gallardo in the irons. The six-furlong distance will be uncharted territory for all nine as none have raced further than 5 1/2 furlongs.
“I love it,” Berndt said of the distance increase. “I wish it was a mile and a sixteenth. He is one paced and just keeps going. He can run all day.”
The quarter horse portion of the Minnesota Festival of Champions was held Thursday with trainer Jason Olmstead winning the $46,600 Minnesota Quarter Horse Futurity with Sheza a Sugar Momma and the $48,000 Minnesota Quarter Horse Derby with Spicy Cartel.
33rd Minnesota Festival of Champions – Saturday, Sept. 5
Race 1: $30,500 Allowance 7 furlongs
Race 2: $80,000 Northern Lights Debutante 6 furlongs
Race 3: $30,000 Maiden 5 furlongs turf
Race 4: $55,000 Princess Elaine Minnesota Distaff Turf Championship 1 1/16 miles turf
Race 5: $55,000 Blair’s Cove Minnesota Turf Championship 1 1/16 miles turf
Race 6: $55,000 Crocrock Minnesota Sprint Championship 6 furlongs
Race 7: $80,000 Northern Lights Futurity 6 furlongs
Race 8: $55,000 Bella Notte Distaff Sprint Championship 6 furlongs
Facts and Figures
-53 horses entered across eight races
-Mac Robertson – all-time Festival thoroughbred training win leader with 43
-Richest horse entered: Cupids Crush (race 4) with lifetime earnings of $519,555
Return winners:
Cupids Crush won 2024 and 2025 Princess Elaine; 3/5 in 2026 Princess Elaine
Summer Winner won 2025 Northern Lights Debutante; 6-1 in 2026 Bella Notte Distaff Sprint
Distorted Pro won 2025 Crocrock Sprint; 2-1 in 2026 Crocrock Sprint
Thunders Rocknroll won 2025 Bella Notte Distaff Sprint; 4/5 in 2026 Bella Notte Distaff Sprint
Frosty View won 2025 Blair’s Cove; 8/5 in 2026 Blair’s Cove