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Pick Pony | June 21, 2024, 8:43 p.m.
Canterbury Downs was established by Walter Brooks Fields Jr. and his investors. After a constitutional amendment for parimutuel wagering on horse racing was approved in 1982, Fields and his nephew Brooks Hauser formed Minnesota Racetrack Inc. They partnered with Santa Anita and got the first racetrack license from the Minnesota Racing Commission. The first race in Shakopee took place on June 26, 1985.
However, the growth of the state's lottery and Native American-hosted casinos led to financial struggles for Canterbury Downs, forcing a sale to Ladbroke Racing PLC in 1990.Ladbroke Racing Corporation bought Canterbury and renamed it New Canterbury Downs, but had to shut down in December 1992 due to low attendance. In late 1993, Irwin L. Jacobs bought Canterbury, then sold it to Curtis and Randy Sampson.
The Sampsons revitalized Canterbury, reopening it for simulcasting, and quickly repaid its debt. In late 1994, they brought back live horse racing in Minnesota. In January 1995, Canterbury Downs was renamed Canterbury Park.
The fourth annual Northern Stars Turf Festival features five turf stakes or handicaps and will commence at 5:10 p.m. Central on June 22. In its previous three instances, the Turf Festival has consistently yielded the highest single-day handle total of the season, reaching a maximum of $4,737,428 in 2022. The festival's main attractions are the Canterbury Derby, Lady Canterbury Stakes, Brooks Fields Mile, Curtis Sampson Oaks Handicap, and Dark Star Turf Sprint Handicap.
The Brooks Fields Mile Stakes is a 1-mile route run on the turf at Canterbury Park. It is restricted to three-year-olds and older, bringing a wide range of talent to the gate. The purse is $50k.As of now, there is little chance of rain predicted although the wind could be kicking up out of the west.
There’s a fair amount of early speed in this race, which could make for an exciting run, given the abundance of pressers in the group.
Yeah, baby! Put your hands in the air and… wave goodbye to Rockstar Red. Although his works have peaked right on time, and the Lane Johnston/Chad Lindsay combo is tough to beat, Rockstar Red is the slowest horse in the group and shows no signs of improving. He’s far outclassed. Toss.
Kennebec hails from out west, where he’s known to doze in the first two-thirds of the race only to awaken and blast past everyone as he races back to the paddock to continue his nap. Seriously. In the Wild Cat, he came from 18 lengths behind to win in a class stronger than this one. Of course, the stunning comeback was primarily due to Nashville Skyline’s jockey miscalculating the distance by a decimal point, running the 11-furlong route using 5 1/2 furlong tactics. Yes, Nashville Skyline’s 18-length lead ultimately resulted in a last-place finish.
Kennebec’s speed on turf is among the best, although it is on a downtrend. All of his pace numbers are declining, too. Because of this, we think he will barely miss the tote board, but a good-looking overlay could tempt us to drop some coin on him. Especially considering Jose Silva is undoubtedly the one who could return Kennebec to form.
Drama Chorus is one of the early speedsters, turning in the fastest E1 pace in his latest outing. His overall speed numbers are dropping, but AI predicts a spike up in this race. With his pace numbers also turning upward, a good performance could put him in the money, if not on top.
His declining speed shows no sign of correction, which is a major concern. However, there is a saving grace—his feet-per-second, especially on that ever-critical first turn, dominates the group. That rarely gets noticed, so he could go into the race with a bet-worthy overlay.
If he doesn’t get into a speed duel with Golden Bandit and Silent Poet, and opts to wait for the opportunity patiently, he should do well. We’ll put him in him in the money, but just barely.
Silent Poet is the early pacesetter, and let’s face it - if he can’t grab the lead early on, he’ll wither away into a depressive state that can only be recovered from with 20 lbs of fermented hay. The determining factor in this race is simple. How hard will Golden Bandit push Silent Poet to gain the lead? A speed duel will open the door for plenty of pressers and a sustainer or two.
This will be his second race after a 36-day rest. This sets up in his favor. However, Silent Poet’s speed seems to have peaked a bit early. To make matters even more dire, this 9-year-old’s speed numbers are declining, and AI predicts a downward spike. We’ll put him on the board and lean strongly toward the win.
You should blink your eyes a few times when checking That’s Not Funny’s stats. This may be the overlay of the day because, on the surface, That’s Not Funny doesn’t stand out. Dig deeper, however, and you’ll find one of the best turn-two feet-per-second in the group.
We also have the steepest upward trending speed and E1/E2/LP pace in the race. Although the gelding has average speed in the bottom third, he’s moved to the upper half in the last three races. In the last race, his speed was third-best. In short, That’s Not Funny is improving fast - very fast. We think That’s Not Funny will finish in the money and could even give race-favorite Golden Bandit a run for the money.
Watch the overlay and spread some in-the-money coin to him if the opportunity arises.
Deflater’s works have been rock-bottom ugly, which does not bode well for one of the slowest entries in the race. AI believes there’s a small chance for improvement in this race but still not enough to hit the board. Toss.
This is Xavey Dave’s second start after a 232-day layoff and his latest works look strong. He hasn’t quite recovered his form but certainly looks poised to do so in this race. And let’s be clear here - a Xavey Dave in top form is a strong contender despite what the odds hint toward.
Golden Bandit is the second-fastest horse in this race, just a few points behind Silent Poet. This could set up a speed duel, although Golden Bandit seems to be the one that will give up first. If Golden Bandit can’t keep the lead, he goes off sulking. For that reason - toss. Silent Poet is not quite ready to give up the throne.
Average works, declining speed, downward trending late pace, and lack of speed - plus, his only experience on turf didn’t go so well. Toss.
Tonka Warrior is fast and getting faster with every race. Dreary works the past few weeks are suspect but go hand in hand with two consecutive six-month layoffs. A strong performance in his last race on turf and an AI prediction for an uptick in performance in this race add icing to the proverbial cake. Could an 8:1 five-year-old do it? You bet. At the very least, he’ll make the tote board.