ON A WARM DAY MOJICA GETS HOT
By JIM WELLS There was a heat advisory on Saturday as the area got a taste of what typically doesn’t occur until the depths of summer in the Twin Cities, yet even what Minnesotans refer to as oven-like was mitigated significantly by a stiff breeze. It was warm, 95 degrees at 3 p.m. with a […]
The Adventure That Never Happened
By Jeff Maday At some point in 2009 Dark Star told Canterbury Park president Randy Sampson that if Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta were to meet on a racetrack that he would take the boss to see the spectacle. Dark’s thinking was that this magnificent match-up, as intriguing as any heavyweight bout, would take place that […]
BRIGHT SKIES, BIG CROWD AND TOBY KEITH, TOO
So how could you ask for a better Father’s Day _ sunshine, steady breezes to dry the track and surrounding area and, for the ladies and his fans, none other than Toby Keith. On top of all that, a crowd in excess of 13,000 people. Keith, you might recall, has had Country-Western hits […]
Yeah, You Know…
It was the kind of day Dark Star would have approved of without qualification. It was all about him. From the large gathering in the President’s suite, assembled In his honor, to the absurdly large congregation in the winner’s circle after the race named in his honor, which was preceded by countless stories about him and […]
Field Set for Dark Star Cup
His face is emblazoned on the wall in a larger than life photo as you enter the press box, now named in his memory. The photo is from the early days of Canterbury Downs and he is dressed to fit a specific role, that of racetrack regular, man about town, high roller, someone riding life […]
Race of the Week – Belmont Stakes
The rite of spring for three year old thoroughbreds meets its conclusion this Saturday in the Belmont Stakes. With two strong Triple Crown victories in the books, one would think the winners would scare more runners off – not the case. A nearly capacity gate of fourteen is lined up for the final leg of […]
Remembering Dark Star
On the morning before the 144th running of the Belmont Stakes, the racing community at Canterbury Park said goodbye and paid its respects to a man who would not only have been present but at his boisterous best if fate had not intervened. There was after all the disappointing defection of a horse pointed toward […]
In Memory: Dark Star 1946 – 2012
There is a seat in the middle of the pressbox sofa that was his for the past dozen years. A small, white lettered sign on the oval coffee table immediately in front has reserved the spot for him all that time. The table also was host to a smorgasbord of barbecued ribs, prime rib, baked […]
