SHAKOPEE, MN – The rain came early but did not stick around for the 32nd edition of the Minnesota Festival of Champions leaving the main track fast and the turf course good for a pair of maiden special weights and nine straight Minnesota bred stakes worth over $400,000.
Jockey Harry Hernandez made it look easy early, winning the first four stakes of the night in front of a large gathering of family and friends who made the trip from Puerto Rico to watch him ride.
The night was a relatively chalky affair with one notable exception. Fans allowed Crocrock Sprint defending champion Distorted Pro, trained by the winningest trainer in Festival history go off at 21-1 and they learned the hard way that you don’t overlook Mac Robertson.
Here is your recap of the Festival Day stakes races.
$50,000 Princess Elaine Mile 1/16 – TURF
The longest shot on the board, 25-1 Ann Alee, did what she could to try and steal the race from 1-2 favorite Cupid’s Crush, but the latter was just too good, stalking, pouncing and drawing off to win by 8.
“She’s got so much speed,” said co-owner Mike McGowan of Xtreme Racing. “And she always tries so hard.”
That turns out to be a lethal combination for the five-year-old mare who won her second straight Princess Elaine in 1:45.22
Bred by Mary & Eric Von Seggern and Barry Butzow, Cupid’s Crush is trained by Canterbury Hall of Famer, Mac Robertson.
Robertson, recovering from a very serious health scare, was unable to be in attendance, but his presence was felt…and missed.
“We love you, Mac,” said co-owner Vicki McGowan. “This one is for you.”
$50,000 Bella Notte Minnesota Distaff Sprint 6 Furlongs – Dirt
Rider Harry Hernandez made it two stakes wins in a row, taking the Bella Notte aboard Thunders Rocknroll ($4.40). The Bob Lindren homebred sat off the pace and Harry waited patiently before making his move through the turn to seize the lead and from Retired Kathy and hold off Xtreme Diva, covering the six furlongs in 1:11.11.
“I know that she can win on lead or off the pace so I waited to see what the others would do,” said Hernandez, who had a lot of family in town from his native Puerto Rico. “I’m here and they’re there so there is nothing better than having family here to share with.”
That’s the third win in a row for the 5-year-old mare and Lindgren says she’ll be around for a while.
“She’ll continue racing for a couple of years,” he said. “She’s having a great career and may end up being better than Honey’s Sox Appeal, a Canterbury Park Hall of Famer.
Xtreme Diva ($2.80) was second and Retired Kathy ($2.10) was third.
$50,000 Blair’s Cove Mile and 16th – TURF
Hernandez stayed hot, winning his third stake in a row aboard Frosty View in the Blair’s Cove. Breaking alertly, Hernandez let Frosty View ($4.40) strike to the lead and from there he had it his own way, keeping 3-year-old phenom, Sushi Man, at bay the entire way around the track.
Winning trainer Joel Berndt had no concerns about the distance, but the weather was another story.
“I figured the distance was okay,” said Berndt. “He handled the 7 ½ furlongs just fine, but I was a little nervous about the wet turf course.”
Berndt had no reason to worry as Frosty View handled the surface with aplomb, stopping the clock in 1:44.68
Sushi Man ($3.00) was second and Half Brother ($2.10) was third.
$75,000 Northern Lights Futurity 6 Furlongs – Dirt
Maiden Shances R made it exciting, but in the end, he proved no match for the Hernandez piloted How Bout That Curt ($2.40) who pulled away late to capture the Northern Lights very professionally and giving the rider his fourth consecutive stakes win on the card.
It was a special moment for the Sampson family as the young colt is named for the late patriarch of the family and co-founder of Canterbury Park, Curtis Sampson.
“’How about that’ was one of my dad’s favorite expressions,” said Russ Sampson. “He is the first foal out of the last mare to run in dad’s name, Double Bee Sting.”
Double Bee Sting, bred by Curt Sampson, was the winner of the 2017 Minnesota Oaks and has a second foal at home.
“She has a yearling colt at home who is a little bit bigger and looks like he could be a good one,” said Russ Sampson. “Maybe she’ll end up being a foundation broodmare for us?”
Shances R ($2.40) was second and Perfect Gamble ($2.60) was third.
$75,000 Northern Lights Debutante – Dirt
As Kevin Gorg said in the winners’ circle after the race, “it’s not Festival Day until you have an interview with Pete Mattson.”
Mattson’s homebred, with trainer Tim Padilla, Summer Winner scored a grinding win in the best finish of the night, edging away from favored Incredulous in deep stretch under steady urging from Alonso Quinonez to win the Debutante.
“Festival Day makes me very proud for the state,” said Mattson. “Our horses now are competitive not only here but all over the country now.”
Summer Winner paid $6.00 for the win and ran the six furlongs in 1:11.79. Incredulous ($2.20) was second and Flatter Me Billy ($3.40) third.
$50,000 Crocrock Sprint Six Furlongs Dirt
It took eight races, but a price finally emerged on Festival Day as Guillermo Rodriguez gave a lesson on riding hard through the wire. His mount, Distorted Pro, generally an off the pace type horse, broke very alertly and set the early fractions.
“Nate Quinonez (subbing for the recovering Mac Robertson) told me ‘if you break good, then go with that,” said winning the winning jockey. “He broke well and that’s what I did. After we got passed, I thought I was riding for second, but he wasn’t going away from me so I kept on him, and he was able to come back.”
Defending champion Distorted Pro was overlooked in the wagering and went off at 21-1 and paid $44.80 for the win. Street Warrior ($2.80) was a hard luck second and Heavenlyconveyence ($6.80) was third.
The winner got the six furlongs in 1:10.46.
$40,000 Minnesota Quarter Horse Futurity 350 Yards
When favored Holy Dynasty’s rider, Eugenio Navarette, dismounted behind the gate, she was stalled and then he rejoined, owner/breeder Dan Kjorsvik wasn’t concerned.
“He was immature early in the season at Remington so we gave him some time, tried a hood and planned out how to get him to relax,” he said.
He was so relaxed that he broke a little slowly but quickly gathered under Navarette and pushed on to gallop right on past frontrunning Sophey ($3.80) and cruise to victory in :18.38, paying $5.40 to win. This Eagle Can Rock ($3.60) finished third.
$40,000 Quarter Horse Derby 400 Yards
Horse racing in this region is passed down through the generations and there was no better example of this on Festival Day than the winning connections of the Minnesota Quarter Horse Derby. Jjs Sweet and Sassy, bred and owned by Jerry Oxner had four generations of the Oxner family in the winners’ circle after taking the Derby in :20.205.
Trainer Tyler Stein, just 24-years old, like most trainers, has a hands-on approach to training that he takes even a step further. He ponies his horses to the gate.
“I like to pony them,” he said. “They see me every daym they’re comfortable with me so I try to stay with them and keep them as calm as possible.”
Eos Keep Dreamin ($8.40) was second and Shes Hell Bent ($5.40) was third.
The final stakes race of the evening was the Cash Caravan that featured a 1/9 shot that ran like it.
Six-year-old Relentless Legacy, owned by Tom Maher, trained by Jason Olmstead and ridden by Armando Alvidrez dominated the field paying $2.20 for the win in the $20,000, 400 yard stake.
With no card on Sunday, racing resumes on Wednesday night. There are five racing days left in the 2025 season. Racing on the 10th and 13th will carry a 5:00 PM post time while the final theee days of the meet will kick off at 4:00 PM.
