The Canterbury Park stable area opened Monday. Horses and humans are slowly drifting in from across the country. The head count is nearing 100 with 1,600 equine athletes expected to spend the summer here. New track superintendent George Moncrief arrived last week and has the main track prepared to open for training Friday. At that point the incoming traffic will increase exponentially.
Jockey agent extraordinaire Richard Grunder, who winters at Tampa Bay Downs as the race caller, will bring a new rider to Shakopee in Hugo Sanchez. The young rider, originally from Peru, has won 254 races from 1,499 starts, a very respectable 17 percent.
Agent Pete Antonucci, who will handle mounts again this season for four-time leading jockey Dean Butler, is bringing a new rider to Shakopee as well: apprentice Maria Thornton. The Chicago-based rider began her career last summer at Arlington and has a total of 45 wins from 332 races. Maria, the younger sister of veteran jockey Tim Thornton, is currently fifth in the standings at Hawthorne.
Nothing thus far from Horse Whisperer, a regular provider of innuendo and gossip to these pages. The Emissary of Undertone is sure to surface soon.
The Canterbury live racing promotional events schedule is online and the pocket calendar for summer racing is also available at the track.
If you are interested in Canterbury history, the 2015 media guide is online now.
….information provided by press box staff
