Smooth Chiraz favored in MN Derby; Record purses offered to state-bred 3-year-olds
Dazzlingsweetheart, undefeated in three career starts, faces eight others in Saturday’s $85,000 Minnesota Oaks at Canterbury Park. The one mile and seventy yard race is restricted to state-bred fillies. The 3-year-old is owned by Barry and Joni Butzow of Eden Prairie, Minn. and is trained by Joe Sharp.
Dazzlingsweetheart will be ridden by Chris Rosier, who has been aboard for each of the three wins. Her most recent victory came in the six furlong $60,000 Frances Genter Stakes when she found the early lead and drew off to win by more than three lengths. While she has already defeated six in the Oaks’ field, and has been installed as the 9 to 5 favorite on Saturday, this will be uncharted territory as she attempts her longest distance yet.
“I think she can get there,” said Rosier, a veteran jockey who rode in the 2009 Kentucky Derby. “She doesn’t need to be on the front. She just ended up there last time. She races best when covered up.”
Saturday’s Minnesota Oaks and co-featured Minnesota Derby, both being run for the 28th time, offer record purses of $85,000.
Smooth Chiraz, the 6 to 5 favorite in the Minnesota Derby, has won four of six career races and $128,884 in purses. He captured last season’s top prize, the Northern Lights Futurity, and this year won the Victor Myers Stakes by a commanding seven lengths. Smooth Chiraz also tries a two-turn race for the first time. The 3-year-old will be ridden by leading jockey Dean Butler and is trained by Francisco Bravo.
First post for the 10-race program is 12:45 p.m. The Derby and Oaks will be run as the seventh and eighth races.
Canterbury also will be hosting a new event dubbed Corgis & Cupcakes. Six corgi exhibition races with a total of 72 dogs will be held on the main track between horse races. A final race featuring the top two dogs from each heat will be held after the eighth horse race. There will also be nine Twin Cities’ bakeries selling cupcakes and other baked goods.
General admission is $7 for adults; children 17 and younger are admitted free. Parking is also free. More information is available at www.canterburypark.com .
