Five Minnesota-Bred Stakes Races Featured Wednesday At Canterbury Park
Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn.
Canterbury Park’s 10-race Wednesday program in Shakopee, Minn. includes five Minnesota-bred Thoroughbred stakes races offering $350,000 in purses. The Minnesota Oaks and Minnesota Derby, each at 1 mile and 70 yards and each with $100,000 purses, are the headliners of Made In Minnesota Day as the seventh and eight races, respectively.
The Wally’s Choice and Glitter Star Stakes, until this season run as part of the Minnesota Festival of Champions, follow the Oaks and Derby. Both are at a distance of 1 1 /16th miles with purses of $50,000.
The fifth stake, run at five furlongs as the sixth race on the card, is the $50,000 MTA Sales Graduate Futurity, restricted to horses that passed through the sales ring of the 2019 Minnesota Thoroughbred Association Yearling Sale. All nine in the field are state breds including morning line favorite Westa Waverly who finished second beaten a neck in his career debut Aug. 3 after opening a four length lead. He was 12 1/4 lengths clear of the third place finisher.
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Defend the Rose, trained by Mac Robertson, is the 5-2 morning line favorite in the Oaks. The 3-year-old filly won the six furlong Frances Genter July 1 and since has raced on the turf twice against open company finishing fourth and third.
Weekend Ride is the 5-2 Minnesota Derby favorite. He won the Victor Myers Stakes July 1 and was recently second in a sprint facing open company. The colt tries a route of ground for the first time in the Derby for trainer Gary Scherer.
Hot Shot Kid, the all-time leading Minnesota-bred money earner with $598,909 in purses, will attempt to win his 15th race at Canterbury and second consecutive Wally’s Choice Stakes. The prohibitive 4-5 morning line favorite is trained by Mac Robertson and owned and bred by Warren Bush.
The Glitter Star Stakes will also have a heavy favorite in Ready to Runaway, who is 2 to 5 on the morning line. The 4-year-old filly that has not missed the board in 14 career starts at Canterbury, Keeneland and Oaklawn, is also trained by Robertson and owned by John Mentz of Lakeville, Minn. She was claimed for $25,000 in June of 2019 and since has won five of 10 starts for the new connections. Four of those wins were stakes including the 2019 Minnesota Oaks and Glitter Star. Jockey Roimes Chirinos has the mount on Ready to Runaway, Hot Shot Kid and Defend the Rose.
Post time Wednesday is 4:40 p.m. Tickets are available at www.canterburypark.com .
