11 in the gate for $60,000 Canterbury Park Quarter Horse Derby
Wednesday’s racing program at Canterbury Park features the richest quarter horse race of the season, the $98,600 Northlands Futurity. The ten fastest qualifiers from trial races held Aug. 2 advanced to the 350 yard final, the last race on a nine-race card that begins at 5:00 p.m. CT. Leading trainer Jason Olmstead has a strong hand in the Northlands as he saddles six of the 2-year-olds including the fastest qualifier Relentless Bay owned by Tom Maher. Edwin Escobedo, who rode three of those making the final, will be aboard the 2 to 1 morning line favorite Relentless Bay as he has been for each of the gelding’s five career starts including three wins.
Maher also owns Relentless Robin and co-owns Relentless Corona, the second fastest in the qualifying heats, with Paul Luedemann. Both are trained by Olmstead. Maher, the leading owner at the meet, also owns Relentlessly Fast who is trained by Tyler Stein.
Relentlessly Fast won the $69,500 MQHRA Stallion Auction Futurity July 19 and won his trial by a length over Relentless Robin and another Olmstead runner Sum Special Gumbo, recording the third fastest time of the ten qualifiers. “If he breaks, he will be right there,” Stein said. “He’s gotten better each start.” The July 19 victory came at odds of 23 to 1. Angel Ramirez has the mount. The Northlands Futurity is being run for the 36th time.
The eighth race of the evening that begins with six thoroughbred races is the $60,000 Canterbury Park Quarter Horse Derby, also in its 36th rendition. No trials were held so a field of 11 will enter the starting gate with the 5 to 2 morning line favorite Beep Beep Rev Rev, trained by Olmstead and ridden by Escobedo, breaking from post position two. The Minnesota bred 3-year-old filly, owned and bred by Summer Run Inc, has won seven of 12 starts including a recent allowance win at Prairie Meadows at 330 yards. She has raced the 400 yard Canterbury Derby distance once, finishing second in the North Star State Derby at Canterbury June 7. There is no shortage of bridles in the Olmstead barn as he has eight of the 11 starters.
Alotta Oh La La, 2022 Canterbury quarter horse of the meet, breaks one gate outside Beep Beep Rev Rev (pictured above). She is trained by Mallory Norton and owned by Double G Racing.
Stormy Smith, the rider in three of Alotta Oh La La’s wins including last year’s Northlands Futurity, has the mount.
Also on the card as race seven is the $15,000 Northlands Juvenile at 350 yards, restricted to 2-year-olds entered in the Northlands Futurity Trials that did not qualify for the final. Ten horses are entered in the main body of the race with two also eligibles that could draw in should there be scratches. Olmstead has four entered in the Juvenile.
The wagering menu offers a 50-cent Pick 5 wager beginning in race five, a six furlong thoroughbred claiming race followed by a seven and one half furlong maiden turf race with the three quarter horse races closing out the wagering sequence. Canterbury’s Pick 5 has a 10% takeout, the lowest takeout in the nation on this type of bet.
