Event-packed week follows 10-day break for music festival
Live horse racing resumes at Canterbury Park Thursday following a 10-day hiatus to allow for Twin Cities Summer Jam, a music festival held in the Shakopee, Minn. racetrack’s infield July 18 through 20. The concert required extensive set up and take down to accommodate the 40,000 fans and 19 musical acts during the three-day event.
“Twin Cities Summer Jam, the first concert we have hosted in the reconfigured infield, was a success but now it’s good to get back to the business of horse racing,” senior director of racing operations Andrew Offerman said. “I know some took advantage of the break for a short getaway, however morning training continued with a modified schedule on both the main track and training track throughout the break and entries for Thursday night were strong. We eagerly anticipate the unofficial second half of our 2019 race meet.”
First post on Thursday, the 39th day of the 66-day meet, is 6:00p.m. Thursdays are known as Buck Night with $1 admission and multiple $2, $3, and $4 food and beverage specials. Ten races, three on the grass course and seven on the main track, have been carded. A total of 98 horses were entered. The late pick four, beginning in race 7, has a carryover of $3,011.
The race week continues Friday at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 12:45 p.m.
Friday the racetrack and casino hosts Canterbury Cocktail Classics where guests sample craft spirits from a variety of local distilleries along with upscale appetizers prepared by executive chef Seth Teiken.
Saturday features Wiener Dogs and Donut. Between the horse races, 72 wiener dogs compete in six heats sending the fastest 12 dachshunds to the Bark In The Park Championship on Labor Day. Several donut vendors from throughout the metro area will also be selling their wares.
Sunday is Leg Up Day, an annual fundraising event to support jockeys that are injured while riding at Canterbury Park. The Leg Up Fund, a registered 501(c)(3) organization, was established in 2014 to provide temporary, transitional support as riders recover and return to the saddle. The fund provides direct resources to jockeys and helps give them a “Leg Up” while they recuperate. Events on Sunday include opportunities for fans to visit with jockeys, get autographs and take photos, participate in a silent auction, and sponsor riders with monetary donations.
“Leg Up Day is an important event for the racing community and I expect they will embrace this fundraiser once again,” Offerman said. “Our racing fans, racehorse owners, and trainers, have historically been the most supportive and generous of any in the nation.”
