Mystic Lake Derby draws 11 three-year-olds; 15 entered for Dark Star Turf Sprint.
The Mystic Lake Derby will headline the Wednesday, June 22 Mystic Lake Northern Stars Turf Festival at Canterbury Park. Eleven 3-year-olds have been entered for the one-mile turf race that offers a $150,000 purse, the richest of the Canterbury season. On the 10-race card are four additional turf stakes, all with purses of $100,000 and field sizes of 12 or greater. The Dark Star Turf Sprint attracted 15, the Curtis Sampson Oaks drew 13, the Mystic Lake Mile has 12 and the Lady Canterbury Stakes has 13 fillies and mares entered. Post time on June 22 is 5:10 p.m.
“The card really came together well. All the turf stakes drew full fields,” Sr. Vice President of Racing Andrew Offerman said. “The Northern Stars Turf Festival will be extremely competitive with horses from Kentucky, local horses, horses from across the country. It should make for very exciting racing.”
Six of the Mystic Lake Derby entrants are based at Canterbury Park. Bens Malice, who will break from the outside post position, has two wins over the Shakopee turf course. Owned and bred in Minnesota by Pete Mattson of Prior Lake, Minn., Bens Malice is trained by David Van Winkle and will be ridden by Alonso Quinonez.
Stitched has been stabled at Churchill Downs for trainer Greg Foley. The colt, leading at every call, won the $150,000 Caesars Stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis on May 18. He will be ridden in the Mystic Lake Derby by Florent Geroux, the seventh leading rider in North America by purses earned. Stitched is the 5 to 2 morning line favorite.
The Mystic Lake Mile is led by multiple graded stakes winner Two Emmys, trained by 14-time Canterbury leading trainer Mac Robertson. The 6-year-old, listed at 3 to 1 as the morning line choice, will be ridden by Roimes Chirinos for owner Wolfe Racing LLC and Hugh Robertson. Locally-stabled Tut’s Revenge, trained by Clinton Stuart, finished third in the Mystic Lake Mile last year and won the stake in 2020.
Canterbury will offer a special all turf stakes Pick 5 with an industry low 10 percent takeout and 50 cent base wager that includes the five turf stakes, races 3,4,6,7 and 8. “Based on horse player feedback from last year’s Festival we put together a unique wager that features all five of the turf stakes races,” Offerman said. “It is a handicapping challenge we think fans will enjoy.”
The program will also include a 10 percent takeout pick 4 beginning with the first race and a late pick 5 on the final five races with the same 10 percent takeout.
A single-day handle record of $3,795,180 was set in the 2021 Northern Stars Festival when 10 races were run.
