Longshot, Favorite Take Canterbury Stakes Before Record Crowd

SHAKOPEE, MN – A Canterbury Park record crowd of 20,376 were treated to a pair of exciting finishes in a pair of turf stakes Friday night.

In the $60,000 Princess Elaine stakes for state bred fillies and mares, Dear Fay was coming off a long layoff and making her seasonal debut in the race but she looked every bit a winner up until the final strides of the mile and sixteenth race.

2014 Horse of the Year Sky and Sea led the way through 3/4 of the race but gave way to a sea of horses through the turn.

Dear Fay surging in the lane. Still no sign of eventual winner Aaron's Belt — Dear Fay surging in the lane. Still no sign of eventual winner Aaron’s Belt

Dear Fay exploded mid stretch and emerged from the pack and looked to have the race won late but from the outside came 43-1 shot Aaron’s Belt under a strong ride from Eddie Martin Jr. to take the race by 3/4 of a length.

“For those of us that breed, raise and race horses, this is very special,” said owner/trainer Greg Weir. “I’ve been doing this a very long time and I feel like Robert Redford in ‘The Natural’ – it took me a log time to get here but, by God, we’re here.”

“We’ve have some tough luck with her,” Weir continued. “But she’s always run well. She never really ran a bad race unless something bad happened. We thought the mare would run really well here or we wouldn’t have entered her.”

A very happy Eddie Martin Jr and Aaron's Belt entering the winner's circle after taking the Princess Elaine. — A very happy Eddie Martin Jr and Aaron’s Belt entering the winner’s circle after taking the Princess Elaine.

Aaron’s Belt covered the distance in 1:43.05 and returned $88.20 his backers. Dear Fay was a solid second while BJ’s Angel was up for third.

The $60,000 Blair’s Cove Stakes was no less exciting and featured a battle between stretching out and first time turfer Bourbon County and rapidly improving A P is Loose.

A P is Loose broke sharply under Alex Canchari and looked to have a hard time settling down out of the chute. Canchari was able to settle down his mount through the first turn and took him a bit off the pace being set by Lil’ Apollo.

Lil' Apollo (7) and AP is Loose (6) at the start of the Blair's Cove. — Lil’ Apollo (7) and AP is Loose (6) at the start of the Blair’s Cove.

“He got out pretty good and that horse [Lil’ Apollo] came up outside of me,” Canchari said, “so I decided to take him back and he relaxed for me.”

A few lengths back, Dean Butler had Bourbon County running smoothly down the backside about four lengths off the lead.

Lil’ Apollo’s fractions were not quick, leading the field through a :51.08 half mile and a 1:15.26 three quarters, Geovanni Franco trying to leave his mount plenty in the tank for the stretch run.

“He’s learning,” said owner/breeder Joel Zamzow of A P is Loose. “He likes to go, there was no speed in the race and it’s nice to be able to rate off someone in turf races. He did that in his last allowance as well and that’s what Mac was hoping for in this race as well.”

As the field reached mid-stretch, A P is Loose surged to the lead in the middle of the racetrack, passing Lil’ Apollo while Bourbon County tried to take the rail route home. Lil’ Apollo gave way grudgingly and Bourbon County came within a head but A P is Loose had more in the tank and was able to take the Blair’s Cove by a length. Lil’ Apollo gamely held on for third.