Wednesday’s Made in MN Night race card includes the $100,000 Minnesota Derby and Oaks as well as the $50,000 Wally’s Choice and the $50,000 Glitter Star Stakes. Both of the races for older statebreds could produce a repeat, or in the Glitter Star a three-peat, winner.
Drop of Golden Sun won the 2020 Wally’s Choice racing gate to wire in the 1 1/16 mile stake, defeating Cinco Star, the morning line favorite in this year’s rendition, by four lengths. The two met July 14 when Cinco Star closed to win the Ralph Strangis Stakes. Alonso Quinonez will ride Drop of Golden Sun while Roimes Chirinos, who left Shakopee in late July to ride in New Mexico, returns for the mount on Cinco Star for trainer Mac Robertson.
Chirinos also is named on Ready to Runaway, the favorite in the Glitter Star who won this stake
in 2019 and 2020 for owner John Mentz and trainer Robertson. The consistent 5-year-old mare has 11 wins and three second-place finishes from 14 starts at Canterbury. Mentz claimed her as a 3-year-old for $25,000 and since she has won nine races including seven stakes, and $390,185 in purses for the Lakeville owner. Ready to Runaway’s earnings racing at Canterbury of $400,675 is the fourth largest sum in the history of the Shakopee racetrack.
