Winning Young Set The Tone
BY JIM WELLS It is 1973; you are 13 years old and climb aboard a bus to take in the last day of racing at the local racetrack. You pocket 13 bucks for your efforts, a more enjoyable and much easier way to earn money than, say, snow shoveling or grass cutting. Hooked? “Well, I […]
Wacky Races
By Noah Joseph In horse racing, anything can happen, but sometimes the outcome is not what the fans or the track want. Over the years, some very wacky and bizarre races have occurred at the Shakopee track. One race actually occurred just last weekend. Last Saturday’s third race, like all of Saturday’s races, was run […]
Social Saturdays: Join the Fun with #CanterburyMe
Taking a selfie at the track? Why not win a Day at the Races package while you’re at it! All you have to do to enter is post a photo of you, or you and your friends, at Canterbury Park and use the hashtag #CanterburyMe. It’s Social Saturday at the track! Let’s see who else […]
Race Horse Trainer: Laddie Litfin
By Rebecca Roush Many paths lead to the horse racing industry. Laddie Litfin’s was long and winding. Growing up in Mahtowa, Minnesota, a small township of less than 600 people, Litfin was always around horses as a child. His father bred and raised the horses to be sold to trainers. In his early teens, Liftin […]
Paul Allen Spreads the Joy of Racehorse Ownership
By Rebecca Roush If you’ve ever been to Canterbury Park before, chances are you have heard announcer Paul Allen. What you may not know is that he owns racehorses as well. Growing up just outside of Washington D.C. in an apartment complex that overlooked Rosecroft Raceway, Allen began attending races with his mother when he […]
Canterbury Quotes and Notes & A Tip Of The Hat For Justify
BY JIM WELLS The internet was alive on Sunday with acclamations, just as various corners of Canterbury Park were on Saturday afternoon, the networks after the race and the sportscasts later that evening. Racing had its 13th Triple Crown champion. A moment of silence, if you will, and please remove your cap. Justify had done […]
Wet Day Can’t Spoil Triple Crown
BY JIM WELLS A frequent patron of the races stuck his head outside the front door early Saturday to encounter a heavy rain. “Well,” he responded, “Canterbury Park must have something big planned today.” There has been no better forecast of the weather this spring/summer than the schedule at the Shakopee racetrack. If a big […]
Belmont’s Size Makes It A Rider’s Race
BY JIM WELLS It is one-of-a-kind, the only racetrack in the United States with such vast dimensions, awe-inspiring if not intimidating to anyone who has not dealt with its sweeping turns and long straightaways. Its forbidding size can swallow a horse and rider whole if he’s not prepared, doesn’t calculate its differences and transfer them […]
Dollar Night Bucks The Odds
BY JIM WELLS There is only one way to explain what took place as patrons began lining up at the windows or, those who already had passes, at the turnstiles to gain entrance to the racetrack Thursday night. The dollar store is open again. A buck admission, a buck for a race program, a Pepsi, […]
Guide for First-Time Visitors to Canterbury Park
Have you been thinking of coming to Canterbury Park but not sure how it all works? We’re here to help. A visit to the track is a fun and exciting experience, and we want you to enjoy all that Canterbury Park has to offer. Below, you’ll find an easy-to-follow guide to make your trip smooth […]
