Jareth Loveberry spent three full seasons riding at Canterbury Park, winning the jockey title in 2017. In 2020, he began the season at Canterbury but ultimately left when Arlington Park in suburban Chicago re-opened to ride for trainer Larry Rivelli. That was a decision he did not regret. He won the Arlington riding title last year, doubling up on wins over the second leading rider.
“It had to be the right situation,” Loveberry said this morning from Arlington “because I really liked it [at Canterbury Park].”
He sits atop the Arlington standings during this current meet with a 24-win advantage.
Before exiting Canterbury last year he put on a show during the Mystic Lake Northern Stars Turf Festival program, the biggest night of racing at Canterbury for open company horses. “I won two and finished second in another,” he said. The wins came in the Mystic Lake Derby and the Honor the Hero Stakes and a second-place finish in the Lady Canterbury.
On Wednesday Loveberry returns to Shakopee and Canterbury Park to ride four in this season’s Northern Stars Turf Festival. “I’m looking forward to coming back big time,” he said. But first he travels to Parx in Philadelphia to ride Like a Saltshaker for Rivelli on Tuesday. He will arrive in Shakopee Wednesday. “I fly in from Philly that morning,” he said.
On Wednesday night he will ride Wellabled for Rivelli in the $100,000 Dark Star Turf Sprint.
The two teamed up last summer to win the Honor the Hero in course record time for five furlongs on the grass. Wellabled has drawn the outside post eight and is second choice on the morning line at 3 to 1. “We’ll see what happens out there [in post eight]. We’ll watch what happens rather than having one choice, to go,” Loveberry said.
He rides Lady Lawyer for the first time in the $100,000 Lady Canterbury for trainer Michael Stidham. The 5-year-old mare may be new to him but she is very familiar with the winner’s circle having five wins from 11 starts in a career that began in Great Britain and has seen her win at both Saratoga and Keeneland.
Loveberry’s Mystic Lake Derby winning mount in 2020 came aboard Summer Assault for trainer Michele Boyce. Summer Assault returns to Canterbury Wednesday in the $100,000 Mystic Lake Mile. “He’s training well,” the jockey said. “His first start off a layoff came at Keeneland and he only got beat by five against a good group,” Loveberry said. “The next start I had a really bad trip [on May 14 at Arlington] and still only lost by a length.”
His Mystic Lake Derby mount this year is aboard King of Miami for Rivelli. The speedy son of American Pharoah has raced but four times yet does have a turf victory. The course has favored speed at all distances during a hotter-than-ever three-week stretch that has seen no precipitation until .4 inches fell Sunday. Loveberry is well aware of how the turf course has played. “I’ve been watching on Youtube. I’ll be doing other things and have it on in the background but I’ll pay attention during the races,” he said.
When it was suggested that he arrive early to the paddock one race to be interviewed by analyst Brian Arrigoni, Loveberry had a better idea, foreshadowing that he expects big things Wednesday. “Let’s just do it in the winner’s circle.”