Thoroughbreds:
Mac Robertson dominated the summer again, winning 75 races. His horses won more than $1 million in purse money. This was Mac’s fifth consecutive training title. To put it in perspective, Bernell Rhone was second with 37 winners. The 75 wins were four more than the leading jockey. This is the first time in Canterbury Park/Downs history that the leading trainer has had more wins than the leading rider.
Mac won with 33 of 74 starters in August and hit the board 73% of the time. When the dust settled on Minnesota Festival of Champions Day, he had won four stakes bringing his total stakes wins for the meet to 12. He is the best.
Dean Butler won the thoroughbred riding title for the first time. He had 71 wins. Dean finished in the money 60% of the time and earned purses of $1,012,416.
Derek Bell rode a lot less than past season but made the most of it, winning at a 29% clip. Already the winningest rider in Canterbury history by money won, his $732k in purse money moved the total to $10.88 million. Derek’s 60 wins makes him the leading rider by wins in CBY history with 871 career victories. Former leader Scott Stevens had 30 wins this year and has a total of 865.
Quarter Horses:
Ed Ross Hardy won his eighth consecutive Quarter Horse training title and ninth overall. Ed had 31 wins and now, as the leading trainer in CBY history, has 206 wins.
Ry Eikleberry was the leading QH rider for the second consecutive season. He had 17 wins. If you were to add his QH and thoroughbred wins the total would be 81 making him the all-around win leader. That would be the first time that has been accomplished here.
Jockey Tad Leggett had 12 wins this summer. He is the Historical Jockey Earnings leader with $917,643 in purses. He is now just two wins behind Scot Schindler for Historical Jockey wins with 94.
Owners Bob and Julie Petersen entered the meet as the Historical Owner Earnings leader. That lead increased as they won the owner title with 10 wins and $87,470 in purses. They are now the winningest QH owners with 55 wins. They passed Tom Maher who has 54 wins.
Chick Fight was named Horse of the Meet. She won the races that counted: The Frances Genter, the Minnesota Oaks, and the Minnesota Distaff Classic Championship. A complete list of divisional champions is below.
2008 Divisional Champions
• Horse of the Year- Chick Fight (owner: Bleu Valley Farm; trainer: Mac Robertson)
• Older Filly or Mare – Bella Notte (owner: Art and Gretchen Eaton; trainer: Mac Robertson)
• Three-Year-Old Colt or Gelding – Perfect Bull (owner: Red Dog Stables; trainer: Bernell Rhone)
• Three-Year-Old Filly – Chick Fight (owner: Bleu Valley Farm; trainer: Mac Robertson)
• Two-Year-Old – Bet Your Boots (owner: Cheryl Sprick and Richard Bremer; trainer: Troy Bethke)
• Sprinter – Bella Notte (owner: Art and Gretchen Eaton; trainer: Mac Robertson)
• Claimer – Duke Deluxe (owner: Willard Mobley; trainer: Randy Rarick)
• Grass Horse – Mizzcan’tbewrong (owner: Last Call Racing Partnership; trainer: Richard Scherer)
• Quarter Horse – Stolis Kool Chick (owner: LMR Racing; trainer: Edward Ross Hardy)
• Older Horse – Duke Deluxe (owner: Willard Mobley; trainer: Randy Rarick)
