Stakes Races Highlight Holiday Cards

The upcoming holiday schedule will bring out some of the best state bred horses in the barns for racing on Tuesday and Wednesday, including two making a quick turnaround from recent races.

Stakes races are scheduled both days, along with an annual fireworks display on Tuesday evening and hot dogs for a buck on the Fourth of July.  The annual hot dog eating contest is scheduled on the Fourth in addition to Corgi dog races, a parade in which children may participate and music.

Buck night will be held as usual on Thursday, but there is no racing on Friday.

First post on Tuesday is 4 p.m. and includes two $50,000 stakes races, the Princess Elaine and the Blair’s Cove, both for registered 3-year-old and older Minnesota-bred horses at a mile and 1/16 on the turf.

A fireworks display will follow the 11-race card, at approximately 10:15 p.m.

The 5/2 morning line favorite in a seven-horse Princess Elaine lineup is First Hunter, a five-year-old mare trained by Mac Robertson and ridden by Jareth Loveberry from the No. 6 hole. She is 3-2-3 from 12 career starts, all but one of them on the grass.

Second morning line choice is Some Say So at 3/1, trained by Judd Becker and ridden by Leandro Goncalves from the No. 4 hole. She is 4-6-0 from 19 career starts, 13 of those on the grass where she is 3-6-0.

The morning line favorite in a 10-horse Blair’s Cove lineup is AP is Loose at 3/1, also trained by Robertson and ridden by Loveberry out of the eight hole. He is 9-7-9 from 32 career starts, 16 of those on the turf, where he is 7-4-4.

Second choice at 9/2 is Fireman Oscar, trained by David Van Winkle and ridden by Hugo Sanchez from the No. 5 hole. He is 3-4-5 from 17 career starts and is 1-0-3 from seven starts on the turf.

The Fourth of July card includes four stakes races, starting with the first two races, both quarter horse sprints: the $34,740 Canterbury Park Distaff Challenge at 400 yards and the $49,410 Bank of America Canterbury Park Championships at 440 yards.

The $50,000 Frances Genter Stakes is third on the card with a six-horse lineup limited to three-year-old Minnesota-bred fillies, running six furlongs.  Firstmate, owned by Barry and Joni Butzow, leads the field. She is 2-0-0 from four career starts with earnings of $74, 773 winning at sprint distances twice.

Making a quick return from an eight-length sprint victory Friday night is Simran, trained by Roopishwar Rampadarat and ridden by Leslie Mawing, just returned after a hairline fracture to his lower back.

Mr. Jagermeister
Mr. Jagermeister

Mr. Jagermeister is front and center in a five-horse field for the $50,000 Victor S Myers six-furlong dash. Mr. Jagermeister ran well back in the mile Mystic Lake Derby on the grass June 23, but is back at his preferred distance for this one as a 1/9 morning line favorite.