Festival A Family Affair
By Jim Wells The Festival of Champions has a family air about it, and always has. After all, it is about Minnesota horses, the farms they represent and the people who breed, own and train them. In many respects is has become the perfect sidekick to the Minnesota State Fair. The 26th running of the […]
Minnesota Festival of Champions
The 26th Minnesota Festival of Champions takes place tomorrow at Canterbury Park. The special event debuted in 1992 to pay tribute to the Minnesota horse breeding industry, and acts as the unofficial celebration of the Canterbury Park live racing season. “Festival day is like the Championship game of the season,” said trainer Bernell Rhone, winner […]
Bell Still the Leading Festival Rider
By Jim Wells Nobody has ridden more Festival of Champions winners than Derek Bell, the Canterbury Park Hall of Fame rider who has been to the winner’s circle 24 times on this annual day of tribute to Minnesota horses. That total is six more than Dean Butler and 13 in front of Scott Stevens. Bell […]
26th Minnesota Festival of Champions September 1
The origin of the Minnesota Festival of Champions, which will be celebrated for the 26th time next Sunday, dates back to 1992, the end of the Downs era, the year that owner Ladbroke Corporation lost interest in live racing. Minnesota owners and breeders banded together to send a message to Ladbroke that there was indeed […]
Canterbury Park 2019 Stakes Schedule Features Record MN Festival of Champions Purses
Canterbury Park’s 2019 thoroughbred stakes schedule includes 31 races worth $2.235 million and will again cluster many of the most popular and lucrative races on single days. The Shakopee, Minn., horse track’s richest race, the $200,000 Mystic Lake Derby on Saturday, June 22, will be the highlight of the Northern Stars Racing Festival along with […]
Mr. Jagermeister Wins $75k Minnesota Classic Championship
Dame Plata remains undefeated with victory in$100k Northern Lights Futurity Mr. Jagermeister easily won the $75,000 Wally’s Choice Minnesota Classic Championship Sunday at Canterbury Park. The 3-year-old colt took command of the 1 1/16 mile race from the start, cruising to a 4 1/4 length win over True West. Mr. Jagermeister, who has won three […]
The Other Minnesota Get-Together
By Noah Joseph While much of the state is swept up in the excitement of the Minnesota State Fair, horse racing will have a different kind of get-together. This Sunday is the 25th Minnesota Festival of Champions at Canterbury Park, a day when all races are restricted to Minnesota bred horses including eight stakes races, […]
Canterbury Hosts 25th Minnesota Festival of Champions Sunday
Stakes purses boosted for state-bred best; Mr. Jagermeister 1 to 5 favorite in Classic Shakopee, Minn. — The 25th annual Minnesota Festival of Champions, a day restricted to racehorses bred in the state, will be held Sunday at Canterbury Park, offering the most purse money in event history. The purse for each of the eight […]
STATE STARS SHINE ON FESTIVAL DAY
BY JIM WELLS Steamy, muggy, humid. Or as mother used to say, “close.” Under those conditions, Canterbury Park conducted the 24th running of the Festival of Champions Sunday, an afternoon of racing restricted to Minnesota-bred horses and highlighted by a sensational two-year-old, a pair of full brothers who won the two quarter horse races, the […]
FESTIVAL BRINGS OUT THE BEST OF MINNESOTA
BY JIM WELLS The Festival of Champions abounds with stories of heartbreak and elation and more will be added to the growing canon of tales about Minnesota-bred horses, their owners, trainers and riders, with the 24th staging of the event on Sunday. Only in horse racing do the stars align as they sometimes do to […]