Nine stakes races share spotlight on 11-race card
Post positions were drawn yesterday for the 32nd running of the Minnesota Festival of Champions on Sept. 6, a centerpiece day of racing for Canterbury Park featuring the best state bred thoroughbreds and quarter horses. The 11-race card includes nine stakes races, six for thoroughbreds and three for quarter horses. A total of 84 horses were entered.
Mac Robertson, the all-time leading trainer in Festival wins with 41, has six entries Saturday including the prohibitive 1 to 2 favorite Cupids Crush in the $50,000 Princess Elaine Minnesota Distaff Turf Championship. Cupids Crush, winner of the 2024 Princess Elaine, is owned by Xtreme Racing Stables, LLC and will be ridden by leading jockey Harry Hernandez.
The program begins with two state bred maiden races, followed by six thoroughbred stakes: the Princess Elaine, the $50,000 Bella Notte Distaff Sprint, the $50,000 Blair’s Cove Minnesota Turf, the $75,000 Northern Lights Futurity, the $75,000 Northern Lights Debutante and the $50,000 Crocrock Minnesota Sprint.
The final three races are for quarter horses: the $47,200 Minnesota Quarter Horse Futurity, the $48,000 Minnesota Quarter Horse Derby and the $22,000 Cash Caravan Stakes. Jason Olmstead, the meet’s leading quarter horse trainer, will saddle seven runners. Ed Hardy, who has won a record 22 Festival races, has one horse in the Derby and one in the Cash Caravan.
First post is at 5:10 p.m. The Pick 5, with an industry low 10 percent takeout, will begin in the fourth race.
32nd Minnesota Festival of Champions – Saturday, Sept. 6
Facts and Figures
-84 horses entered across 11 races
-Mac Robertson – all-time Festival thoroughbred win leader with 41
-Ed Ross Hardy – all-time Festival quarter horse win leader with 22
-Richest horse: Thealligatorhunter (race 8) with lifetime earnings of $532,775
-Return winners:
Thealligatorhunter won 2024 Crocrock; 4-1 in 2025 Crocrock
Cupids Crush won 2024 Princess Elaine; 1 to 2 in 2025 Princess Elaine
Half Brother won 2024 Blair’s Cove; 6-1 in 2025 Blair’s Cove
– Jockey Alonzo Quinonez won three Festival races in 2024. He has mounts in four stakes Saturday.
