Rhone Sweeps Father's Day Stakes at Canterbury

Just a few months after becoming a grandfather for the second time, Bernell Rhone celebrated Father’s Day by sweeping the holiday stakes races at Canterbury Park.

The hottest combo on the grounds, trainer Rhone and jockey Dean Butler, continued their winning ways in the Northbound Pride Oaks with the the filly Tourmaline .  The race was run at a mile but was taken off the turf.  Away at even money, Butler kept Tourmaline off a relatively quick pace set by Cherokee Queen and Paris by Night and timed the pace well.  He made her move on the far turn and she just let loose and swept around the field to take the lead.  As they straightened for home she was up by a length and just kept going to ultimately prevail by nearly four lengths. 

 

Tourmaline returned $4.00, $2.80 and $2.40, completing the mile in 1:38 1/5 ahead of Paris by Night and Artemus Kitten.

In the one mile Brooks Fields, Rhone sent Heza Wild Guy to the post as the 2-1 favorite and the 10-year old gelding did not disappoint.  He seized the lead at the half mile and never looked back.  The close, Que Paso tried to come at him in the stretch, but Heza Wild Guy just kept on going and increasing his lead through the line to draw off by about five.

Rhone said that the plan wasn’t necessarily go to the front but “with the scratches and the way the race shaped up, we just went with it.”  Piloted by Martin Escobar, Heza Wild Guy completed the off the turf mile in 1:37 4/5 and returned $6.00, $3.80 and $3.20.

Father’s Day at Canterbury

It turned into a lovely, though warm, afternoon at Canterbury Park.  Attendance was nearly as glorious as the day at 15,002.  The apron was full and the crowd was loud and active.  The atmosphere was electric.  There are few venues – if any – the size of Canterbury that draws as many fans and certainly none as enthusiastic.  So many trainers I speak with enjoy the atmosphere so much that they keep coming back year after year.  

One trainer told me, “I race at Remington for more money, but if it wasn’t for the owners and trainers there would be no one watching the races.  Here the crowd is screaming down the stretch and really makes it a fun place to race.”  Minnesota can’t keep taking that for granted as expenses continue to increase and purses stay in decline.  Additionally, a shutdown would castrate any momentum the track personnel have made in luring new trainers here.

Hopefully some of the elected representatives of the 15,000+ fans here today are paying attention.

Celebrating 25 Years of Minnesota Racing

On June 26 Canterbury Park officially celebrated 25 years of racing in Minnesota. In 1985 Canterbury started life as Canterbury Downs. In those days, Santa Anita Operating Company held the management contract and helped fill the backside with horses conditioned by legends with names like Van Berg, Lukas, Mott and Nafzger. In fact in that inaugural season, Hall of Famer Jack Van Berg was the leading trainer. A couple of jockeys who would also grace the Hall of Fame were part of the original colony as well: Mike Smith and Sandy Hawley.

The Downs ran well for a few years but the advent of the state lottery and a newly developed Native American casino combined with Ladbrooke’s trainwreck management to push Canterbury over the brink of solvency and the track shuttered in 1992. Sadly this was the same year that Minnesota breds were celebrated for the first time on their own special day at the Downs. The outlook for those Minn-breds looked bleak.

The track remained closed for nearly two and a half years and reopened as Canterbury Park in May of 1995. Local businessmen Curt and Randy Sampson and Dale Schenian purchased the Downs and formed Canterbury Park Holding Corporation (as of market close on July 1 the stock price is at $7.82). Over time the Park has developed and grown, adding a card club in 2000 and renovating that card club for the 25th anniversary season. The Claiming Crown was established here in 1999 and has been back virtually every year since with only a couple of exceptions. The Minnesota Festival of Champions was renewed and is a now a fixture the last weekend on the racing calendar.

Saturday was a day to celebrate and reflect on the sometimes turbulent 25 years of pari-mutuel wagering in North Star State. Races all day were named in honor of the 1985 executive staff, original horsemen and even Kraus Anderson, the builders of the Downs and partners in the renovations since. Special homage was paid in the 6th race to Canterbury’s own “Brooks Brothers” (actually nephew and uncle): Brooks Hauser and Brooks Fields (who also has a stake named in his memory). Fields was President and CEO and Hauser was Senior Vice President and Treasurer. Both were extremely successful businessmen in their own right and were instrumental in bringing racing to Shakopee, MN. In that race the inimitable Paul Allen relinquished the microphone duties to original track announcer Tony Bentley for another blast of 80’s nostalgia that matched the 80’s tunes that were blaring over the loudspeaker between races all day.

The weather was excellent, though humid, but the crowd was disappointingly sparse. Official attendance was listed at 3,564 and paled in comparison with the Father’s Day crowd of 12,129 that graced the apron the week before. Certainly there was something nice about the lack of lines and the bumping around, but that feeling was fleeting. We need the crowds and I’d much prefer to battle a packed house. Those in attendance were treated to a print of a poster by renowned racing artist PEB which featured many of the characters that have graced the Shakopee oval over the years including our very own trainer, Bernell Rhone. It was a nice keepsake and looks great with the winner’s circle photos on the wall.

As the track moves towards an uncertain future facing a tough economy and competition from Native American casinos it was nice to take a breath and celebrate the first 25 years of racing in Minnesota. Here’s hoping we’re still racing at America’s best mid-level racetrack in another 25.

He's No Mudder/The Sidewalks of New York

He tried hard. He really did. Fizzy Pop gave his all but as track announcer Paul Allen said, he was just "spinning his wheels". Fizzy finished fourth and I can't complain. Jockey Jose Ferrer did what he could, but Fiz just did not run well in the muck that passed for a racing strip at Canterbury Sunday.

He broke well and was in good position pretty much the entire trip around. He steadied a bit in the far turn, but not enough to account for losing by 9.5 lengths. A look deep into his past performances give us the answer. He's run on a "wet fast" track twice, winning an allowance and a fifth in a $12,500 claiming race. In the claimer he had a wide trip and only went 7 panels. Too short for our boy. So far not so bad,but this was hardly a "wet fast" track.

If we look at the two races he ran on a "sloppy" track, a Hawthorne optional claiming race and $12,500 starter allowance at Calder, he lost by 34+ lengths and 18.5 lengths respectively. After both starts he bounced back to be competitive. In fact, he actually posted a win in the second race removed from each debacle.

Today's race wasn't nearly as bad as his last two attempts over a truly "off" track, but it really wasn't in his wheelhouse. The one thing I was truly afraid of - how Fizzy would handle the muck - turned out to be the one thing I should have been afraid of. We'll see how he comes back and chart the next race and chalk this one up to the elements.

Brooks Fields Stakes

The Brooks Fields was contested at Canterbury over a soft turf course Saturday and the Emerald Bay Stables entry of Spider Power and Pursue the Dream swept the top two spots. Congratulations to friend Jack Holstrom and all the partners at Emerald Bay. What a way to start the season at Canterbury!

Sidewalks of New York

Whatever happened to Sidewalks of New York? I had wondered about the loss of playing the Sidewalks of New York at the Belmont Stakes for years but never bothered to look it up. A Facebook post from friend Russ Fujimoto (a veritable font of dubiously useful information!) gave a partial answer:

"...it was in 1997 when New York, New York was used during the post parade. I believe 'Sidewalks Of New York"'is 'bugled' before the Manhattan, the race prior to the Belmont."

I know there are plenty of New Yorkers who read this blog that have to know the inside scoup regarding the "why" of the change. Hardly life or death, but I've really been wondering for years!

Random Odds And Ends

This weekend I'm in Las Vegas visiting the kids and taking in some Little League baseball. In fact, Forrest picked up the save in his AAA team's victory this evening. We're turning around and doing it all over again tomorrow, which will leave me Belmont-less for the second year in a row. I'm just going to skim through some topics here and get back in depth again, hopefully, tomorrow evening with a preview of Fizzy Pop's next race Sunday afternoon.

The Belmont Stakes

I have no real opinion here. I was one who absolutely blew off Mine That Bird in the Derby and didn't think he could repeat the performance in the Preakness. I was absolutely wrong on both counts. There is some value lying around if you choose to pick against him, but who am I to go against Calvin Borel? With no strong opinion, I'll take the Bird see if he gets the distance.

I Am Woman

Her last effort was less than spectacular. In fact, it was awful. She was a badly beaten 8th and really didn't show much the entire trip. It may be getting time to turn her out for a bit or send her back to Chicago where she's at least competitive. The purses are nothing special, but so far neither is she. If she can race and be competitive on that circuit, then great. If not,I hope we help find her another career.

Fizzy Pop

Fiz is back in this weekend Sunday afternoon at Canterbury. He'll be racing in the 6th race, a $20,000 Optional Claiming race at a mile and a sixteenth over the turf. Jose Ferrer is back up. I'll be back to break down that race by Sunday morning. I think he's in a really good spot and coming into the race well. I have concerns about Ferrer, but that may be me. I wasn't thrilled the way he rode the last race especially when he came out to the paddock with just enough time to get a leg up and no real instructions from Bernell. That said, there may have been extenuating circumstances in the jock's room that caused him to be late, he's been having a good meet and I should try not to cut my nose off to spite my face. If Bernell trusts him again, I'll give him another shot.

That's a quick look around the horn while I'm out. I hope you all enjoy the Belmont, The Brooks Fields (here at Canterbury this weekend) and your own Little League tournaments!

Our First Stakes Nomination

Fizzy Pop is now stakes nominated. He's not going to run in it, but he was nominated. We nominated along with 31 other horses for the $50,000 Brooks Fields Stakes at 7.5 furlongs over the turf. I called Bernell this morning and was ready to beg to not run in it. To be honest, Fiz hasn't earned it. He failed at $25,000 optional claiming last out and would really need to be able to handle that kind in order to be competitive in the field. Let's not forget that the highest level he has won at without help from a DQ since we got him last March is $16,000. Some accomplishments of the potential field:

- Arizona Breeder's Derby Champion

- Rossi Gold Stakes Champion

- John Wayne Stakes Champion

- Hot Springs Stakes Champion

- 10,000 Lakes Stakes Champion

- Illinois Owner's Stakes Champion

In addition there are numerous Starter Allowance, Allowance and Starter Handicap winners. Fizzy is a hard worker, but he last won a race on his own (no DQ) last May 25th. It doesn't really stack up for our boy. A few in this potential field have already beaten him as well.

What this was (the nomination was free) was just an opportunity to see the potential field. You never know how these are going to come up - especially theses days with all the short fields around. This one looks like it'll come up pretty tough...at least for Fiz. It was pretty exciting to see your horse's name on a stakes nomination list. I'm sure better when it's in the stakes entries. And even better still at the top of the results chart!

We won't run - even with the bullet five furlong work he put in this morning - but it was an honor just to be nominated.