SHAKOPEE, MN – The recently concluded summer was a mixed bag at Canterbury Park. While handle was down broadly year over year, there were also three fewer race days in 2025 while attendance was up slightly and on-track handle basically flat.
The effect of thoroughbred purses being down 23% from last year was lower field size as trainers brought fewer horses to Minnesota. This is reflected in the number of unique starters. In 2024 the number of unique starters was 772 but fell to 676 this year resulting in an average field size drop of 9% to 6.73 per race.
All sources per race handle was down 6% from 2024 racing Wednesday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons. There were also six Thursday evenings of racing during the season.
At the end of the 2024 legislative session, a compromise was reached between all stakeholders regarding the legalization of sports betting in Minnesota that would have guided revenue to the track for purse enhancement, but the tumultuous legislative session ended before the issue could be address. Sports betting failed to gain any traction in the 2025 session.
“We will continue to work with the state legislature during the upcoming session to address purses. Horse racing and the equine industry have an important economic impact across the entire state, touching families and farms in every community,” said Canterbury Park General Manager John Groen. “There are a number of commonsense solutions that would benefit horse racing as well as the tribes and charities, and we remain committed to working cooperatively with all interested parties to make Minnesota’s racing the premier racing circuit in the upper Midwest.”
As always, Canterbury drew great crowds of enthusiastic fans with the average daily attendance surpassing 5,000 spectators with close to 20,000 fans on-track for the annual fireworks spectacular on July 3rd.
“Canterbury Park remains an important piece of Minnesota’s summer entertainment landscape,” Groen said. “This year we attracted more than a quarter of a million spectators from across the region for food, fun, and racing, and we’re rapidly working on a number of entertainment and fan experience enhancements for next season.”
On the racetrack, jockey Harry Hernandez, back from a year away from Canterbury, captured the riding title, going gate to wire and dominating the meet. He won the first race of the meet and buttoned things up with a win in the final race of the 2025 season. Oddly, it was aboard I C Gold for trainer Mac Robertson in both races.
“Besides the fans and my agent, I always have good support from the owners and trainers here and with their support I was able to get it done,” said Hernandez. “There are good, talented, experienced riders here. I just kept going back to my agent [Canterbury Hall of Famer Scott Stevens] to find out what I was doing right, what I was doing wrong and how I could improve.”
The leading owner title wasn’t decided until the 7th race of closing night when Novogratz Racing’s Orange Diablo won for fun, earning the Canterbury Hall of Famer the title.
“The trainer said it wasn’t going to be an easy race, then when he took off and got the lead like that, oh wow, I was excited and pleased the way he ran,” said Novogratz. “I’m a Minnesota guy. I try and support Canterbury as much as I can. If we have a marginal horse in Kentucky or elsewhere, we try and bring them up here and give them a chance to earn them some money or win.”
Leading trainer this season is Jose Silva Jr., his first at the Shakopee oval.
“I want to dedicate this to my mother and say hello to my wife and daughters in Arizona” said Silva, shouting out his support system. “To beat those guys – Robertson, Padilla, Van Winkle, Berndt, they’re legends here at Canterbury – I’m very proud of myself.”
Frosty View, a 4-year old gelding owned by Charlene Gabler and trained by Joel Berndt, was voted Horse of the Meet as well as top Older Horse and top Grass Horse. Frosty View won three of four at Canterbury and capped off his elite season with a dominating performance in the $55,000 Blairs Cove Minnesota Turf Championship. Frosty View was bred in Minnesota by Lothenbach Stables Inc.
Canterbury Park’s 2025 Horse of the Year and divisional champions:
• Horse of the Year – Frosty View (owner: Charlene Gabler : trainer: Joel Berndt)
• Sprinter – Mad House (owner: James Thares : trainer: David VanWinkle)
• Older Horse – Frosty View (owner: Charlene Gabler : trainer: Joel Berndt)
• Older Filly or Mare – Thunders Rocknroll (owner: Bob Lindgren : trainer: Wade Rarick)
• Grass Horse – Frosty View (owner: Charlene Gabler : trainer: Joel Berndt)
• Three-Year-Old Colt or Gelding – Sushi Man (owner: One Bid Stable : trainer: Coty Rosin)
• Three-Year-Old Filly – Carson Bay (owner: Valene Farms LLC : trainer: Gary Scherer)
• Two-Year-Old – Summer Winner (owner: Peter Mattson & Tim Padilla : trainer: Tim Padilla)
• Claimer – Lemon Meringue (owner: Stapley, Hatch, Kelly, Cicala, Alison, Birmingham, Stoney and Mangum : trainer: Esteban Martinez)
• Quarter Horse – Relentless Rocket (owner: Tom Maher : trainer: Jason Olmstead)
Leading Thoroughbred Jockey: Harry Hernandez 70 wins
Leading Thoroughbred Trainer: Jose Silva, Jr. 34 wins
Leading Thoroughbred Owner: Novogratz Racing Stables 13 wins
Leading Quarter Horse Jockey: Armando Alvidrez 8 wins
Leading Quarter Horse Trainer: Jason Olmstead 14 wins
Leading Quarter Horse Owner: Tom Maher 6 wins
