Top trainer Olmstead looks for fourth consecutive futurity win
Canterbury Park will now run races for both thoroughbred and quarter horses as the mixed meet begins Thursday night with a pair of quarter horse races, the $22,800 North Star State Derby and the $23,200 North Star State Futurity, concluding the eight-race program. First post is 5:10 p.m. central. The 54-day season runs through Sept. 28. Quarter horse races will be conducted on Thursdays with races also run on July 3, 10 and 24. The Minnesota Derby and Futurity will be included in the Saturday, Aug. 31 Festival of Champions.
Jason Olmstead, leading quarter horse trainer the past nine seasons, has two entered in the North Star State Derby, Averys Treasure and last year’s North Star State Futurity winner Sugar Rushh.
Armando Alvidrez will ride Sugar Rushh, the 9 to 5 morning line favorite, for owner Summer Run Inc. Olmstead won this race in 2021 and 2022.
Both the Olmstead entrants were defeated by longshot Comeback Darling, pictured above, and trainer Bill Geditz in last summer’s Minnesota Futurity. That filly returns for Thursday’s 400-yard Derby trying the distance for the first time. She is owned and was bred by Ken Quade and will be ridden by Giovany Estrada.
Olmstead has won all three renditions of the North Star State Futurity. He has two entered this year. Dashing Muy Macha has had one race at Remington Park on May 5, finishing last of nine. Olmstead also has entered a first time starter, Da Lie Lah for owner/breeder Lunderborg LLC.
The 2-year-old filly is a full sister to three of the best Minnesota breds to race in Shakopee in the past decade. All three are by Apollitical Jess out of the mare Paint or More. Pyc Jess Bite Mydust, now retired, won seven of 24 starts and $274,662 in purses. Dickey Bob has won 28 of 60 starts and is the all-time leading state bred money earner with $470,500. He is still in training, as is graded stakes winner Jess Rocket Man, 11 of 25 with $206,683. Paint of More has had three more foals to race but none of the six won their debut.
Da Lie Lah has been working at Will Rogers Downs and most recently Remington Park. She will be ridden by Alvidrez.
The morning line favorite in the 300-yard Futurity is Kiss My White Socks, owned and bred by Dan Kjorsvik .The gelding, trained by Patrick Swan, has run two respectable maiden special weight races at Remington. His dam, Holy White Socks, produced two stakes winners for Kjorsvik, Holy Storm who excels at 870 yards and 2020 Minnesota Futurity winner Corona White Sox.
