SHAKOPEE, MN – The first half of the Canterbury Park season is over and “Championship Meet” portion of the season is set to begin Wednesday night.
Heading into the break here are meet leaders in wins:
JOCKEYS
Manny Americano 38
Constantino Roman 30
Eduardo Gallardo 29
TRAINERS
Mac Robertson 25
Jose Silva Jr 23
OWNERS
John Mentz 13
Kirk Sutherland 11
HORSES
Ye Olde Joker 3 ($47,065)
Riverside 3 ($39,300)
Miwoman 3 ($35,450)
It should be an exciting finish to the season as these competitions will stay hot through the summer.
Canterbury Park multiple horseplayer of the year, Bruce “The Oracle” Meyer, posted the stats of the first half of the meet and what’s to come here.
Racing resumes Wednesday night and second half stakes action kicks off on Thursday with the Bob Morehouse and the MQHRA Futurity.
The two stakes will open the racing Thursday night and there will be eight in the gate to contest the 350 yard race.
The even money morning line favorite is the Tom Maher owned, Jason Olmstead trained Relentless Legacy (Armando Alvadrez). The 7-year old has won half of his ten starts at Canterbury including the 2025 edition of the Morehouse and is 11 for 30 lifetime.
L Gallito and Streak N Quartz both have Speed Indexes to take on the favorite should he not be on his game.
Sheza a Sugar Momma (Olmstead/Olmstead) co=owned by Maher and Paul Luedemann is the 9/5 favorite on the strength of her first two starts: a second in a maiden race at the strong Remington spring meet and a win over this surface in the North Star Futurity on June 16.
Of the three other race winners in the field, Livin D Dream, another Olmstead trainee, is the most likely to challenge the favorite.
Hall of Fame Weekend
Friday night will be the 2026 Hall of Fame induction ceremony, honoring a pair of human contributors and one elite equine athlete.
Minnesota bred Quarter Horse Dickey Bob’s first win as a 2-year-old and his final win at the age of 10 both came at Canterbury Park. There were 30 additional wins in between at multiple tracks for the son of Apollitical Jess at distances ranging from 110 yards to 400 yards. Out of the mare Paint or More, Dickey Bob is the richest of seven full siblings who combined earned nearly $1.5 million. Owned and bred by Bruce and Judy Lunderborg’s Lunderborg LLC, Dickey Bob retired last year and is living on trainer Jason Olmstead’s farm. His $529,119 in earnings over 70 races is the most ever by a Minnesota-bred quarter horse.
Breeder/owner Pete Mattson has had years of success but the last decade has been among his best in his 35 years of racing. Minnesota-bred stakes winners Fireman Oscar, Doctor Oscar, Astronaut Oscar, Retired Kathy, Molly’s Angel, Thealligatorhunter, Summer Winner and more, the biggest days at Canterbury Park were some of his best. Never before had the same owner, breeder, trainer and jockey won both the Minnesota Derby and Minnesota Oaks in the same year, but Mattson made history in 2021 with Thealligatorhunter winning the Derby and Molly’s Angel taking the Oaks.
Mattson has also served on the board of the Minnesota HBPA, the Breeders’ Advisory Board and the Hall of Fame Committee (until 2024), giving back to the game he loves.
Dr. Camille McArdle has been a major part of Minnesota racing since the very beginning. In 1985, she was named the MRC’s first chief veterinarian. She built the veterinary department around a pair of core principles: protecting horses’ health and the integrity of the sport. In 1993, Dr. McArdle was appointed to the Racing Commission during a time of transition. She provided steady leadership after the closure of Canterbury Downs at the end of 1992, then helped guide the sport into a new era with the opening of Canterbury Park in 1994. Serving under five governors over 41 years, she was named commission chair in 2021. Dr. McArdle resigned (Ed Note: her statement is worth reading) after state government officials rejected her efforts to help Canterbury Park and Running Aces add new sources of purse revenue.
Hall of Fame Weekend Racing will feature named allowances The Ralph Strangis, Minnesota Distaff Sprint, the Mr. Dale Turf Sprint and the Minnesota Oaks and Derby prep races, the France Genter and Vic Myers.
Later in the Championship Meet, Made in Minnesota night will feature the Minnesota Oaks, Minnesota Derby, Wally’s Choice and Glitter Star Stakes on August 15.
The crowning day of the Championship Meet will be the annual Minnesota Festival of Champions on September 5th. Stakes races include the Northern Lights Debutante and Futurity, Crocrock Sprint, Princess Elaine Turf Distaff, Bella Notte Distaff Sprint and Blair’s Cove Turf.
Quarter Horse stakes include the Northlands Futurity and Canterbury Park Derby on August 20 and the Cash Caravan, Minnesota Futurity and Minnesota Derby on September 3.
