Yesterday’s Shakopee Juvenile on the final day of the meet should be enough to satisfy the desires of local racing fans as they wait for spring and the start of the 2018 meet. What was hyped both here and nationally as the race of the Canterbury season, the $80,000 six furlong sprint featuring some of the fastest 2-year-olds in North America, lived up to that hype and then some.
When Mr. Jagermeister locked up with Amy’s Challenge at the top of the stretch, onlookers knew that the next 220 yards was going to be something special. No one was disappointed when Amy’s Challenge, the odds-on favorite, prevailed by less than a length, not even Mr. Jagermeister’s trainer Valorie Lund. Not only was it a fast race, the fastest six furlongs of the 67-day meet with these two ultra-talented youngsters finishing 18 lengths clear of the others, but Lund knew that what she had believed all along was true. This Minnesota bred is the real thing. See the replay below.
As for Amy’s Challenge… she validated the 91 Beyer Speed Figure she was assigned in August by earning a 92 yesterday. Now it is on to Keeneland with Breeders’ Cup aspirations.
On the business side, things were good this meet with a slight gain in total handle compared to last season even though six fewer races were run in 2017. Total handle was $43.67 million, a .9 percent increase, while average daily handle was up 3.9 percent at $651,839. The number of starters per race increased 4.1 percent to 8.07, another positive indicator.
“Overall the race meet was a success,” company president Randy Sampson said. “We are very fortunate to have the support of both race fans as well as horsemen that each contribute to making Canterbury Park thrive.”
2017 By the Numbers for MN breds:
· $5,062,227 Earned by Minnesota-breds (2nd Consecutive Year Exceeding $5 Million and a new Track Record)
· 150 Restricted Races run for Minnesota-breds (Highest since 2008)
· 1,759 Starts made by Minnesota-breds (Most since 2008)
· Earnings by Minnesota-breds in Open Races increased by about $140,000 or 19%
Canterbury Park’s 2017 divisional champions:
Horse of the Year – Amy’s Challenge (owner: Novogratz Racing Stable : trainer: Mac Robertson)
Three-Year-Old Colt or Gelding – Hot Shot Kid (owner: Warren Bush ; trainer: Mac Robertson )
Sprinter – Honey’s Sox Appeal (owner: Bob Lindgren : trainer: Mac Robertson )
Older Horse – Hay Dakota (owner: Alice Mettler : trainer: Joel Berndt)
Grass Horse – Some Say So (owner: Tom Rosin, Patti Miller and Mark Kane : trainer: Judd Becker)
Three-Year-Old Filly – Double Bee Sting (owner: Curtis Sampson : trainer: Tony Rengstorf )
Older Filly or Mare – Honey’s Sox Appeal (owner: Bob Lindgren : trainer: Mac Robertson )
Two-Year-Old -Amy’s Challenge (owner: Novogratz Racing Stable : trainer: Mac Robertson)
Claimer – Monday Confession (owner: Pick 5 Stable : trainer: Karl Broberg)
Quarter Horse – The Fiscal Cliff (owner: Thomas Lepic : trainer: Kasey Willis)
