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Danjer Too Great In Canterbury Park Championship Challenge

Danjer, the 1 to 9 favorite in the Grade III $52,360 Canterbury Park Championship Challenge, easily won the 440 yard race over a sloppy track by 2 1/4 lengths on Tuesday returning $2.20 to win. Dean Frey trains and co-owns the 5-year-old quarter horse, who has won 12 of 22 lifetime starts and $1,093,770 in purses, with Downtime Enterprises LLC and Billy Smith. Cody Smith rode the winner. Juice is loose finished a nonthreatening second and Heza Blues Man was third. Final time of the race was 21.414 seconds. Danjer won this race last year, earning a berth in the Bank of America Championship Challenge at Albuquerque Downs which he won later that fall. With this victory Danjer again qualifies for Bank of America Championship Challenge.

Lynnder 16

Lynnder 16 won the $38,615 Canterbury Park Distaff Challenge for the second consecutive year. The 5-year-old mare, who has now won 13 of 26 career starts, is trained by Jason Olmstead and owned by Tom Maher and Richard Tobin. Lynnder 16 sailed over the sloppy track to win the Grade III race by one-half length over stablemate Apollitical Mogul in 19.702 seconds. The prohibitive favorite paid $3.80 and was ridden by leading quarter horse rider Edwin Escobedo.

Olmstead had five of the ten 2-year-olds in the $71,362 MQHRA Stallion Auction Futurity and was attempting to win the race for the third consecutive year. He accomplished the feat, winning the night’s richest race with Relentless Courage for owners Tom Maher and Paul Luedemann. The favorite Relentless Babe, also an Olmstead trainee, finished third. The other Olmstead horses ran fourth, sixth and ninth. Relentless Courage, who paid $9.40, was ridden by Luis Valenzuela. Final time for the 350 yards over a muddy track was 17.762 seconds.

Ms Esther

Ms Esther charged through the falling rain to win the 870 yard $25,432 Canterbury Park Distance Challenge by 5 1/2 lengths in a final time of 45.375 seconds. Andrew Samaniego rode the favorite in the first of the four stakes. Ms Esther paid $3.80. The 7-year-old mare is trained by Vic Hanson and owned by Jordan Baumann.