Minnesota Festival Of Champions - Wrap Up

Championship Day at Canterbury Park wrapped up today with the chalk playing true and some nice performances.

Northern Lights Futurity

Two year old Bet Your Boots was the first chalk of the day wrapping up the Futurity in fine fashion. Paul Nolan bided his time into the stretch and then drew away from pacesetter Gladden's Bromance to win driving.

Distaff Classic

Chick Fight was the obvious choice to the public and she ran like one. I would have to look at the replay to see if Dean Butler even moved a muscle on her. She toyed with the field and ran like a 2-5 should.

Classic

My horse crush, Perfect Bull, looked impressive giving Butler back to back wins. Like his win in the Distaff, Butler's mount was a three year old competing against elders and made it look easy. Look for this colt at Remington Park this fall.

Northern Lights Debutante

Her Sweet Saint seized control of the race about half way through and cruised through the stretch to an impressive victory.

Turf

Sarahs Son led the Mac Robertson trifecta in the Turf beating stablemates Joni's Justice and mare Seasahm to the wire.

Distaff Sprint

In what may have been the most dominating performance of the day, Bella Notte took control of this field of fillies and mares and simply obliterating them in a stakes record time of 1:09.2 for the six furlongs. She was short priced and simply dominating.

Sprint

Bizet dropped back to his preferred distance and after clearing an accident in the turn for home, held off A Steel Trap for the win giving the Bell/Robertson tandem their third win of the Championships. Both horse and jockey in the fall came back fine, thank goodness.

How Did the Choices Do?

Well, it was a very chalky day, but that being said, I did pretty darn well.

7 Championship races
5 winners
3 exacta boxes (2 straight up)
5 trifecta boxes (2 straight up)

Of the 21 runners I picked to hit the board in the seven races, 19 of them did. Even on a chalky day, that's pretty good if I do say so myself!

On track attendance for the season at Canterbury was up 8% over last year. Considering the issues that many tracks have bringing fans to the racetrack these days, I think this is quite an accomplishment. I know I say it a lot, but there is no track in the country that does as fine a job with customer service and promotions than Canterbury. A lot of big boys could learn an awful lot on how to promote a racetrack. Attendance here was stellar today and on a gorgeous day with competition from the State Fair and the Renaissance Festival it was quite an achievement.

We'll continue to track the exploits of Fizzy Pop, I Am Woman and any other runners we pick up, but that is all from Canterbury Park for 2009. Thanks to Jeff Maday and his press box staff for allowing me some space here and best of luck to Bernell Rhone, Dean Butler and all the Canterbury trainers and jocks as they scatter across the country for the fall, winter and spring.