2-year-old is even money favorite in $75,000 Northern Lights Futurity
When Curtis Sampson passed away in 2020, he left behind a horse racing legacy that will be remembered Saturday in the 32nd Minnesota Festival of Champions at Canterbury Park. That there is racing in Minnesota at all is a testament to that legacy.
Sampson, along with son Randy Sampson and businessman Dale Schenian, purchased the closed Shakopee, Minn. racetrack in 1994, renamed it Canterbury Park and took the company public with
Curtis guiding the racetrack’s success for many years as Chairman of the Board. Live racing resumed in 1995 and Canterbury has conducted a race meet each year since. The Minnesota Festival of Champions has always been the centerpiece.
The evening program includes six thoroughbred stakes, all restricted to horses bred in the state, two state-bred maiden races and three quarter horse stakes.
Two-year-old How Bout That Curt, the even-money morning line favorite, and leading jockey Harry Hernandez, wearing the familiar red silks with white circled S, will represent Sampson Racing Stables, managed by the youngest of three sons Russ Sampson, in the $75,000 Northern Lights Futurity. Sampson won nine Festival races including the 1996 and 2012 Northern Lights Futurity. The dam of How Bout That Curt, Double Bee Sting, was a Minnesota Oaks winner for Sampson.
“Double Bee Sting was the last good racehorse my dad had,” Russ Sampson said. “Actually, she was the last racehorse ever to run in my dad’s name. She won long, short, dirt and turf. I thought she was too small to be a broodmare but she proved me wrong.”
How Bout That Curt finished second in his debut July 10 and won his next start July 27 by 3 1/4 lengths. He is one of two winners in the seven-horse futurity which will be run as the sixth race. The son of Mo Town is trained by Tony Rengstorf who also trained Sampson’s 2012 Futurity winner Sugar Business.
First post on Saturday is 5:10 p.m. central for the 11-race card.
Minnesota Festival of Champions
Race 1 and 2: Maiden races
Race 3: $50,000 Princess Elaine Minnesota Distaff Turf Championship 1 1/16 miles turf
Race 4: $50,000 Bella Notte Distaff Sprint Championship 6 furlongs [ 10% takeout Pick 5 ]
Race 5: $50,000 Blair’s Cove Minnesota Turf Championship 1 1/16 miles turf
Race 6: $75,000 Northern Lights Futurity 6 furlongs
Race 7: $75,000 Northern Lights Debutante 6 furlongs
Race 8: $50,000 Crocrock Minnesota Sprint Championship 6 furlongs
Race 9: $47,200 Minnesota Quarter Horse Futurity 350 yards
Race 10: $48,000 Minnesota Quarter Horse Derby 400 yards
Race 11: $22,000 Cash Caravan Stakes 440 yards