Kelly Frost of Maple Grove won Saturday’s Horse Player World Series Satellite Contest and will be headed to The Orleans Hotel Casino at the end of March to compete in the $1 million Horse Player World Series. Mike Ferrozzo of Eagan was second in the satellite and also earned a trip to Vegas. The contest format called for ten $2 mythical win and place wagers on races of choice. On a day that was short on big prices, Frost’s winning score was $64.60. Ferrozzo finished with $58.90. In a contest like this the winning score usually exceeds $100 but with few prices to be found the top two made the best of what was offered.
“I was surprised that $58 would win an entry,” Ferrozzo said. “But I will sure take it.”
Bob Lill finished third with $48.00, just 20 cents ahead of Michael Mills. Lill earned an $800 prize. In December, Steve Laurent and Bob Moore also won entries to the annual HPWS through a Canterbury satellite.
The Claim That Keeps On Giving
World Famous Sam T won the Grasmick Stakes on Saturday at Fonner Park for the second consecutive time. He was ridden by Larren Delorme for long-time Canterbury trainer Troy Bethke. Now 8 years old, the speedy sprinter was claimed by Bethke for $4,000 at Canterbury on June 20, 2015 and has since compiled a record of seven wins, three seconds and three third-place finishes from 15 starts and has earned $83,995 in purse money since the claim. The $25,000 Budweiser-Tondi Stakes on March 25 at Fonner is likely on the radar. World Famous Sam T finished second in that race last year.
News and Notes
With fewer than 50 days before horses begin arriving on the Canterbury backside in preparation for the meet that begins May 5, rumors of who is returning and who might try Shakopee for the first time are beginning to flourish.
Sources vary in degrees of reliability. Once the stall application deadline of March 13 comes and goes there should be a fairly clear vision of trainers that will race here this summer. But interest in racing and driving through the stable gate with a load of horses are not the same thing so speculation is on hold for now.
One a scale of one to 10 of reliability, a source rated as an 8 has indicated that the jockey colony should remain similar to last season with Dean Butler, Orlando Mojica and Alex Canchari all returning. The likely addition of journeyman rider Jareth Loveberry is welcomed. With more than a decade of experience and 1,000 plus wins, he should get plenty of calls. Loveberry is currently riding at Oaklawn.
