The upcoming holiday schedule will bring out some of the best state bred horses in the barns for racing on Tuesday and Wednesday, including two making a quick turnaround from recent races.
Stakes races are scheduled both days, along with an annual fireworks display on Tuesday evening and hot dogs for a buck on the Fourth of July. The annual hot dog eating contest is scheduled on the Fourth in addition to Corgi dog races, a parade in which children may participate and music.
Buck night will be held as usual on Thursday, but there is no racing on Friday.
First post on Tuesday is 4 p.m. and includes two $50,000 stakes races, the Princess Elaine and the Blair’s Cove, both for registered 3-year-old and older Minnesota-bred horses at a mile and 1/16 on the turf.
A fireworks display will follow the 11-race card, at approximately 10:15 p.m.
The 5/2 morning line favorite in a seven-horse Princess Elaine lineup is First Hunter, a five-year-old mare trained by Mac Robertson and ridden by Jareth Loveberry from the No. 6 hole. She is 3-2-3 from 12 career starts, all but one of them on the grass.
Second morning line choice is Some Say So at 3/1, trained by Judd Becker and ridden by Leandro Goncalves from the No. 4 hole. She is 4-6-0 from 19 career starts, 13 of those on the grass where she is 3-6-0.
The morning line favorite in a 10-horse Blair’s Cove lineup is AP is Loose at 3/1, also trained by Robertson and ridden by Loveberry out of the eight hole. He is 9-7-9 from 32 career starts, 16 of those on the turf, where he is 7-4-4.
Second choice at 9/2 is Fireman Oscar, trained by David Van Winkle and ridden by Hugo Sanchez from the No. 5 hole. He is 3-4-5 from 17 career starts and is 1-0-3 from seven starts on the turf.
The Fourth of July card includes four stakes races, starting with the first two races, both quarter horse sprints: the $34,740 Canterbury Park Distaff Challenge at 400 yards and the $49,410 Bank of America Canterbury Park Championships at 440 yards.
The $50,000 Frances Genter Stakes is third on the card with a six-horse lineup limited to three-year-old Minnesota-bred fillies, running six furlongs. Firstmate, owned by Barry and Joni Butzow, leads the field. She is 2-0-0 from four career starts with earnings of $74, 773 winning at sprint distances twice.
Making a quick return from an eight-length sprint victory Friday night is Simran, trained by Roopishwar Rampadarat and ridden by Leslie Mawing, just returned after a hairline fracture to his lower back.
Mr. Jagermeister is front and center in a five-horse field for the $50,000 Victor S Myers six-furlong dash. Mr. Jagermeister ran well back in the mile Mystic Lake Derby on the grass June 23, but is back at his preferred distance for this one as a 1/9 morning line favorite.
