By Noah Joseph
On Sunday, Mr. Jagermeister delivered possibly the best performance of the Minnesota Festival of Champions, winning the Wally’s Choice Minnesota Classic with ease. This capped a memorable season for the son of Atta Boy Roy, in which Mr. Jagermeister won four of five starts at Canterbury, and outside of Minnesota took on graded stakes company. Many in attendance said that Mr. Jagermeister could be the best Minnesota bred horse of all-time, and like in all sports, that question has many possible answers based on opinions. This begs the question: Who is the best Minnesota bred of all-time?
To find the greatest Minnesota bred horse off all-time, one can look at several angles. Some may go by pedigrees, some by past performances, some by competition the horse faced, some by career earnings, and the time they raced. Fans who were around during the Canterbury Downs days may say the greatest Minnesota bred was Princess Elaine in the distaff division, and in the male division, they might say Blair’s Cove and Timeless Prince were the greatest. All three horses are members of the Canterbury Park Hall of Fame. Some might contend that graded stakes winner Super Abound is overlooked. However, when Canterbury Downs closed, their Minnesota potential disappeared, leaving fans with the question of “What might have been”?
Fast forward to the present day, A.K.A, Canterbury Park, and the picture of who’s the best, which is already tough to determine, becomes even blurrier. Considering the name Canterbury Park has lasted three times longer than the name Canterbury Downs, more horses from Minnesota have raced here, and the quality continues to increase. In fact, so many top Minnesota breds have made a giant mark on racing here since the beginning of the century, that both sexes have had horses that definitely outrival their 80s and 90s counterparts. In the male category, along with Crocrock, fans may say Wally’s Choice, Sir Tricky, Tubby Time, Heliskier, Coconino Slim, Hold for More and A.P Is Loose may be the best. The female group is equally just as tough, with horses like Nidari, Glitter Star, Bella Notte, Chick Fight, Polar Plunge, and Congrats and Roses.
And so the debate of who the greatest Minnesota bred is will continue for a long time, but one answer is certain; all of these horses are greats in their own right, and have earned their place as legends of racing in Minnesota.
Share with us who you think the greatest Minnesota bred horse of all-time is in the comments section below.
