2013 Derby Day Nears
Occasionally she’ll think about the race and the biggest win of her career, the stuff of warm feelings and pleasant thoughts, except for that interminable wait. “It was intense, wasn’t it though,” says Lori Keith. The subject at hand, of course, is the inaugural Mystic Lake Derby first held in 2012 and Keith’s controversial win […]
Royal Birth Touches Canterbury
Superstitions abound around any racetrack, among the riders, the trainers and the public as well. So wrap your belief in signs, omens, precursors and presentiments around this tidbit: birthdays were being celebrated along with actual births at Canterbury Park on Thursday and some of the results were eye-opening. Lori Keith, Canterbury’s third leading rider at […]
Must Be Divine Intervention
It happened to Paul when he was knocked from his horse by a bolt of lightning. The best selling book of all time has numerous other examples of divine intervention, but heretofore none have been documented at Canterbury Park until Thursday night. In fact, three examples were brought forth recently, putting the track itself in line […]
Paychecks Being Decided by Inches… and Photos
It’s a game of inches (and photo finishes) this summer for the riders in Shakopee where increased purses have expanded the jockey colony and spread out available horses. Sunday, for instance, there was a different rider in the winner’s circle after each race. Competition is the name of the game, for mounts of any kind […]
Clean Sweep in Northlands
The best laid plans of mice and men – and quarter horse trainers – don’t always play out as they’re intended. And sometimes they do… just not as expected. Let’s call this one the second no contest of the night. Friday night in the richest quarter horse race in track history, the Mystic Lake Northlands Futurity, […]
15,168 Enjoy July 3rd
Alex Canchari was searching for ice in the jockeys room after the second half of the co-feature Wednesday night. “What’s up?” someone asked. “I’m trying to cool off,” said Canchari. “Oh, wait a minute…” he added. Yes, indeed, wait a minute. Canchari had just won three races in a row, including the Princess Elaine and […]
14,455 Enjoy Father’s Day Card
There is nothing like horse racing for destroying a person’s spirit one instant and then restoring it a few minutes later. These are the vicissitudes of a sport that can present more ups and downs, more highs and lows, than the Wild thing at Valley Fair. You can be a dejected loser one moment and an […]
Jockey Race Tight Early
Lori Keith bounded out of the tunnel leading to the paddock Sunday afternoon and right past the No. 1 spot for her horse, Oughterson. “Hey, Lori, over here,” someone called. “I was distracted. He distracted me,” Keith said, pointing to a nearby interloper while gathering her wits. Keith is as focused as she’s ever been this spring, […]
Heliskier Unbeaten Streak Hits 7
The sheen in his brown coat accents his muscular frame, and he stands out immediately from other horses around him. The unbeaten son of Appealing Skier truly is something to behold. There is not another horse on the grounds in this four-year-old gelding’s class. He is a man among boys, a giant among Lilliputians, a horse […]
Canterbury Inside the Numbers
Live racing at Canterbury Park starts Friday, May 17. Optimism is high for the 2013 season with full barns on the backside and a higher purse structure in place. This should be a good formula for larger fields and more competitive racing, which equals better opportunities for large payoffs! Let’s look back at the 2012 […]
