Canterbury’s July 3rd card may be the best of the season to date. The eleven races are comprised of three stakes and 107 entries (3 of which are on the also-eligible list) including two state-bred turf stakes, the $50k Blairs Cove and the $50k Princess Elaine.
In the Blairs Cove, a one mile and one sixteenth turf route for Minnesota-breds, Tubby Time (7/2 morning line favorite) looks to win the race for the third year in a row, but he’ll have to contend with the likes of Mack’s Blackhawk who exits the Grade III Louisville Handicap at Churchill Downs and stablemate Coconino Slim who exits two sharp efforts earlier this year in Arlington Park allowance races following his win in the 2012 Minnesota Classic Championship in the 2012 Festival of Champions.
The Princess Elaine, the filly and mare counterpart to the Blairs Cove, appears relatively wide open. It’s Tamareno (6-1 morning line), who crushed state-bred N1X foes in her last out taking home the majority of the $32k purse, may be the one to beat as she has done some solid running on the Arlington Park throughout her career. In fact, her last out was only her second career race in Minnesota, having finished second in a state-bred N1X in 2012. Percy Scherbenske may have made a very sharp claim for owner Jack Guggisburg tagging this one for only $16k last September at Arlington Park.
The third race the tri-feature is the $20,000 added Great Lakes Stakes which will be run at 400-yards for quarter horses as the second race of the afternoon. Bf Farm Boy, 3rd place finisher two back to 2011 Word Champion Quarter Horse Cold Cash 123, looks to bounce back from a disappointing local debut in the Skip Zimmerman Stakes back on June 16. A Splash of Hell, runner-up in the Skip Zimmerman is the morning line favorite at 3-1.
The 2013 card features two Pick 4s (which along with our Pick 3s feature one of the lowest takeout rates in North America at only 14%). The first Pick 4 starts in Race 4 with state-bred maiden claimers going one mile, it continues as eleven $6,250 N2Ls do battle over six and one half furlongs, the third leg is comprised of second-level allowance foes doing battle at six furlongs and finishes up with an open $34k allowance over five furlongs on the turf which drew a capacity cast of 10 bolstered by one on the also-eligible list.
The second Pick 4 starts in Race 8 and is comprised of thirteen $6,250 N3Ls, the two aforementioned thoroughbred stakes on the turf and closes with a full field of $4,000 claimers going one mile and seventy yards.
Wagering on Canterbury’s July 3rd card has been historically been very strong and promises to be once again in 2013. In 2012, total wagering surpassed $1.1 million including pick four pools of $20,640 (Early Pick 4) and $28,657 (Late Pick 4). That card featured only 84 starters in 11 races (7.64 starters per race) and was run in 105+ heat.
With 107 entries in 11 races before scratches (average field size of 9.72) and perfect weather forecast for the day (83 and sunny) it has the potential to be the best July 3 card in Canterbury Park history. So expect even bigger pools, bigger payouts and more excitement than ever before. Plus, all 11 of our races are scheduled to be broadcast live on TVG (Channel 602 DirecTV and 405 Dish Network). First Post is 4pm CDT.
Don’t forget, for all of you able to attend in person, we’ll shoot off some of the best fireworks in the entire metro area following the night’s card. In any case, be sure to spend your July 3rd playing (at) Canterbury Park!
