Minnesota HBPA Mile - Wrap Up

By post time of the race, the clouds and occasional sprinkles had given way to spotty sunshine. The main track was official listed as good as the race was ruled off the turf earlier that morning which resulted in several key scratches, my choice and Morning Line favorite Si Si Mon Amie among them. With her gone and the race moved off the turf, there was no stopping Mizzcan'tbewrong from seizing both favoritism and the race.

When the gates sprung, Paul Nolan surged to the front on Mizzcan'tbewrong but was quickly overtaken from the outside by Fabulous Babe. I remember Fabulous Babe from last summer at Canterbury when she shipped in from Arlington and completely devastated local hero A.J. Bakes by 16 lengths with a crushing move in the turn and down the lane. An early stalker who displayed nice early turn of foot in her seasonal debut here losing to the scratched Couple Whiles, seized the lead early and opened up two and a half lengths as they traveled down the backside. Mizzcan'tbewrong was content to stalk the pace until she stole Babe's move at the top of the turn and overtook her. Nolan had her cruising through the lane and she pulled away to win by almost five while Fabulous Babe managed to hold on for second. Defending Lady Canterbury champion Quiet Queen was third.

This was Mizzcan'tbewrong's second consecutive stakes win after capturing the Reluctant Guest at Arlington last month. Mizzcan'tbewrong (Mizzen Mast-Something Wicked-Chimes Band), trained by Richie Sherer and owned by Last Call Racing Partnership, was claimed for $32,500 at Arlington in September of last year and so far in 2009 has earned over $130,000 including the HBPA Mile Victory. That's the type of claim we all dream of making.

The crowd at Canterbury was happy with Nolan's victory on another level as well. A perennial crowd favorite, he was also Canterbury's "Saturday Classic Jockey of the Day". If the chosen jockey of the day wins two races on the card, Canterbury Park rolls back Pepsi and Miller beer prices to 1985 Canterbury Downs levels. That's $1 Pepsi and $1.50 Miller beer for your reference. Nolan came through on the even money favorite in the feature and aboard Tytus in the previous race sending the crowd to the concessions to help him celebrate the victory.