Sooner Country Babe won the $26,759 Canterbury Distaff Bonus Challenge by a head over Cute Ivory Girl Sunday at Canterbury Park. Jockey Jorge Torres was aboard the 4-year-old quarter horse filly for owner David F. Rath of Renfrew, Pa. and trainer Stacy Charette-Hill. Sooner Country Babe, the wagering favorite, returned $5.00 to win. Xoom finished third. Final time for the 400 yards was 19.804 seconds.
Charette-Hill, the leading trainer at the Shakopee, Minn. racetrack, recorded her fifth stakes win of the season. She also won Canterbury’s two richest quarter horses races, the $122,375 Mystic Lake Northlands Futurity and the $52,775 Canterbury Park Derby, as well as the Skip Zimmerman Stakes and the Dash in a Flash Stakes.
Sooner Country Babe ran eight days prior to today’s win, finishing second by a head to Kool Wagon in the July 19 Dash in a Flash at 110 yards.
“She ran so well last week, it really set her up for today,” Charette-Hill said. “I’m so proud of her.”
Sooner Country Babe has won five of 17 career starts and $69,556.
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Thoroughbred Trainer and Jockey Standings Update
The leading trainers flip flopped position in the standings this week as Robertino Diodoro took a one-race lead over nine-time training champ Mac Robertson, who last week led by three. Diodoro, in his second season at Canterbury, leads 26 to 25.
Ry Eikleberry rode in New Mexico this weekend, winning three stakes races, but Alex Canchari did not take advantage of Ry’s absence. The week of racing ends with Canchari leading by two over Eikleberry, 41 to 39.
If you thought defending champ Dean Butler was out of the hunt, you may want to reconsider. Butler swept the late double and now has 35 victories with 27 days of racing remaining.
Speaking of jockeys, the Horse Whisperer contacted the press box today with a rumor that Canterbury Hall of Fame jockey Derek Bell would be back in Shakopee and would ride for Robertson. Sure enough when Friday’s overnight was reviewed there was Bell listed on two of the three Mac runners, replacing Canchari on both. The Robertson/Bell combo has produced a lot of history around here. This could get interesting.
