Canterbury Park will host its annual Northern Stars Turf Festival Saturday beginning at 5 p.m. central. The eight-race card features five turf races including three $50,000 one-mile stakes, the Lady Canterbury, Canterbury Derby and the Brooks Fields Mile as well as a pair of $30,000 allowances, the Dark Star Turf Sprint and the Curtis Sampson Oaks.
While the majority of the horses entered are stabled at the Shakopee, Minn. racetrack, seven trainers not based at Canterbury have entered 11 horses in the turf races led by top Chicago trainer Larry Rivelli with five.
The Rivelli-trained Rich City Girl is the even money favorite in the Curtis Sampson Oaks. The 3-year-old filly won the $50,000 Goldfinch, a dirt sprint, at Prairie Meadows on May 11. Her lone turf race was a sprint win at Kentucky Downs as the betting favorite. Walter Rodriguez will be in to ride four of the Rivelli runners.
Sushi Man, owned by One Bid Stable and trained by Coty Rosin, is the 2 to 1 favorite in the Canterbury Derby, the sixth race on the program. Leading rider Harry Hernandez has the call as he did June 11 when Sushi Man wired a Minnesota bred maiden field recording the fastest 7 1/2 furlong time of the meet in a 7 1/4 length victory. Prior to that he was beaten by a half-length in a Prairie Meadows maiden sprint by Mickswagger who went on to win the Prairie Mile Stakes.
“We knew Sushi had talent and I wanted to get him on the turf,” Rosin said. “I thought he would win at Prairie Meadows but he just got caught by a nice horse. I think he is just going to keep
getting better. The question is the quick turnaround from the last race but he really never took a deep breath.”
Homie, trained by Rivelli, is undefeated in two starts, both on turf. The Canterbury Derby will be his first start since the fall of last year.
Cupids Crush is the morning line favorite in the Lady Canterbury. The 5-year-old Minnesota bred mare is two for two at a mile distance and four for four on the Canterbury lawn. Hernandez has the mount for trainer Mac Robertson and Xtreme Racing Stables LLC.
A local with an upset chance is state bred Retired Kathy for owner and breeder Pete Mattson. She has proven to be very versatile winning when racing short and long and on both turf and dirt. She most recently won the Lady Slipper Stakes at six furlongs charging from last to first but also won on the turf at Tampa Bay Downs over the winter. Chad Lindsay is her regular rider for trainer David Van Winkle.
Canterbury’s Pick 5 wager, beginning with the second race, has a 10 percent takeout, the lowest in the country on that wager.
