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Mr. Jagermeister Wins $75k Minnesota Classic Championship

Dame Plata remains undefeated with victory in$100k Northern Lights Futurity

Mr. Jagermeister easily won the $75,000 Wally’s Choice Minnesota Classic Championship Sunday at Canterbury Park. The 3-year-old colt took command of the 1 1/16 mile race from the start, cruising to a 4 1/4 length win over True West. Mr. Jagermeister, who has won three consecutive races and four this season at the Shakopee, Minn. racetrack, is trained by Valorie

Mr. Jagermeister

Lund and was ridden by Leandro Goncalves. He was the most heavily bet horse on the 12-race Minnesota Festival of Champions program, paying $2.10 to win. Mr. Jagermeister is owned by Kristin Boice, Leslie Cummings, and Lund. He will be given time off and return to racing in 2019.

 

“When I look down the line, I think ultimately he will be a brilliant miler,” Lund said. “We are still trying to teach him to relax.” The colt has now earned $308,975 in his 12-race career.

The Festival of Champions, which is restricted to horses bred in the state, included a total of eight stakes offering $611,000 in stakes purses. Dame Plata, who has won all three of his starts, defeated favorite Mister Banjoman by 3/4 lengths in the $100,000 Northern Lights Futurity.

Dame Plata

The 2-year-old is trained by Francisco Bravo and is owned by Ann Sachdev and Lori Bravo. Ridden by Jareth Loveberry, he paid $8.00 to win.

 

 

 

The $100,000 Northern Lights Debutante went to Dangerous Wave and owner Rake Farms. The 2-year-old filly is trained by Bernell Rhone and was ridden by Dean Butler. She paid $5.20.

Dangerous Wave

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Butler also won the $75,000 Crocrock Minnesota Sprint Championship aboard Warren Bush’s Hot Shot Kid giving trainer Mac Robertson his 31st Festival victory. Hot Shot Kid returned $4.60 as the wagering favorite.

 

 

 

 

Robertson won again with Honey’s Sox Appeal in the $75,000 Bella Notte Sprint Championship. Orlando Mojica rode for owner Bob Lindgren. The 5-year-old mare has won this race three consecutive times and has boosted her lifetime earnings to $313,520.

 

 

 

 

 

The final stake of the afternoon, the $75,000 Glitter Star Minnesota Classic Championship, was won by defending champion Pinup Girl and trainer Sandra Sweere. Pinup Girl raced toward the rear of the six-horse field, bursting through on the rail in mid-stretch to beat Double Bee Sting by 1 1/2 lengths, returning $3.20. The 4-year-old homebred filly is owned by Gary and Brenda Bergsrud.

Pinup Girl

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dickey Bob won the $55,200 Minnesota Quarter Horse Derby by 2 1/2 lengths over Itinkican Itinkican. The 3-year-old gelding is owned and bred by Bruce and Judy Lunderborg and is trained by this season’s champion quarter horse trainer Jason Olmstead. Dickey Bob, the race favorite, paid $2.40 and was ridden by Denny Velazquez.

Dickey Bob

Fantastic Feelyn won the $55,900 Minnesota Quarter Horse Futurity as a result of the disqualification of race favorite Fly With a Buzz. Fantastic Feelyn is owned and bred by newly inducted Canterbury Park Hall of Fame member Rodney Von Ohlen, and is trained by Edward Ross Hardy, also a Hall of Fame member. The 2-year-old paid $19.00 to win. Nik Goodwin had the mount. Hardy has now won 20 Festival quarter horse stakes.

Total handle for the day, $1,005,728, was the highest Minnesota Festival Day total since 1996 when that 12-race program handled $1,108,678. The on track handle figure of $395,605 was the most since the 2014 Festival.