Geovanni Franco
By Kristin Bechthold If you’ve ever heard a short clip of music and improvised dialogue referencing the 1972 movie “The Godfather” playing after a race, you will know that jockey Geovanni Franco has won. To settle any confusion, the story goes like this: though originally from Mexico, Franco was often mistaken for being Italian while […]
Cannonball Blows ‘Em Away
There was John Bullit, a horse enshrined in Canterbury Park’s Hall of Fame. There is the silver bullet, a shell capable of repelling a serious vampire threat, and there is the Human Bullet, aka David Smith, Jr., who soared 165 feet through the mist and premature gloaming Monday afternoon and into a net 20 feet […]
Geovanni Franco – The Godfather
The grin stretches ear to ear whenever he hears the music, in response to the recognition but maybe too because it’s a reminder he’s just ridden another winner. Each time he enters the winner’s circle, track announcer Paul Allen starts the background music from the movie, the Godfather. The music has played a total of 15 […]
Turf Chute Making a Return
It’s a minor detail to some, a big improvement to others, long overdue to a few and about to happen in any event. The subject at hand is the return of the chute on the grass course, abandoned sometime in the late 1990s primarily – according to Canterbury lore – because a number of riders objected […]
Over 11,000 Enjoy July 3rd Stakes
While human beings melted under the oppressive conditions while merely lifting a cold drink to their lips, horses named Tubby Time, Rare Sunset and Hollywood Trickster refused to wilt under any conditions Tuesday. Tubby Time (pictured above) won the $50,000 Blair’s Cove Stakes for the second consecutive year, and Rare Sunset used her extra gear […]
Certainty and a New Perspective
Atmosphere, environment, ambience, milieu… whatever your choice of words to describe it, the air is definitely lighter these days, and nights, at Canterbury Park. It has everything to do with the certainty of a job down the road and a paycheck to go with it. Ask any trainer on the grounds and the response is almost […]
The 2012 Jockey Colony
Several new faces join the Canterbury jockey colony this season and should fit well with the established riders that include Derek Bell, Dean Butler, Scott Stevens, Lori Keith et al. Tanner Riggs makes his return to Shakopee and will be handled by agent Richard Grunder who also books mounts for Juan Rivera. Larren Delorme moves […]
