Canterbury Park - Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com

mnmark · 07-02-2015, 01:05 AM

They have a solid Thursday night card tomorrow and Fridays card is even better. The Blair,s Cove and Princess Elaine turf Stakes races with full fields.

They have a 14% takeout on pick 3 and pick 4

The quality of racing this year is the best its been in a long time. I know there handle was up 20% a month into the meet. I am surprised that the increase is not larger. There product is as good as anyone on Thursday and Friday nights.

chadk66 · 07-02-2015, 08:19 AM

think what it would be like if they had the barns full. The place is an awesome place to bring horses. I can't think of another track in the upper midwest that is a better place to run horses at. Great surface, great turf track, beautiful barn area and great people. Owners that actually care about horsemen (they are themselves) and great weather for the most part.

rgustafson · 07-02-2015, 09:09 AM

Mark,

Emailed our friend Jim about the 6th race on Thursday. Don't think I've seen that kind of quality horses in a n1x for 3 yr. olds since the halcyon early days of Canterbury Downs in the mid 1980's.

chadk66 · 07-02-2015, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgustafson

Mark,

Emailed our friend Jim about the 6th race on Thursday. Don't think I've seen that kind of quality horses in a n1x for 3 yr. olds since the halcyon early days of Canterbury Downs in the mid 1980's.

halcyon?

rgustafson · 07-02-2015, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadk66

halcyon?

Chad,

One definition of the word is happy, joyful, or carefree and this is how I would define those years at CBY. Would you agree?

chadk66 · 07-02-2015, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgustafson

Chad,

One definition of the word is happy, joyful, or carefree and this is how I would define those years at CBY. Would you agree?

100%. It was like a big family really. Even the racing office personnel were very good people. We used to grumble about Tom Knust as the racing secretary. But looking back he was one of the best I've known. Very fair and very up on what races he needed to write and he could fill fields. And a pretty good guy too. I miss that atmosphere a lot.

rgustafson · 07-02-2015, 04:00 PM

Long time ago, but if I remember correctly, you had some good success with your runners there.

chadk66 · 07-02-2015, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgustafson

Long time ago, but if I remember correctly, you had some good success with your runners there.

I did. It was always a great meet for me. especially the last couple seasons there. Day before yesterday my brother did a seminar at the track for prospective new owners. He is on the Minnesota Thoroughbred Association board and is good friends with the Sampsons. I haven't been training since 1991. Our breeding farm in MN was named Riverview Stables. We ran those home breds that we kept under Riverview Racing Stables. We had a few nice home breds and I trained quite a few really nice outside horses. So my brother is doing this seminar and there is a couple there with their sixteen year old son. My brother mentions Riverview Racing Stables and this kid just starts rattling off all the good horses we had and what races they won. My brother damn near fell over. This was twenty five years ago. Turns out the kid is a Savant. In love with horse racing and watches old racing videos all the time on Youtube. It's crazy.

Milkshaker · 07-02-2015, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadk66

100%. Even the racing office personnel were very good people.

Wow!

mnmark · 07-03-2015, 08:11 AM

1.2 million bet on the card last night. Canterbury Park record handle. That obviously only goes back to when they reopened not Canterbury Downs heyday.

Still they are heading in the right direction.

Bob, Space Shot drilled them last night he ran a nice 2nd to AM Milky Way in his previous start.

I also spoke to the owner of Piko's Pride who ran 2nd or 3rd in the Count Fleet the last two years. He ran 2nd last weekend in the Dark Star. He said they are leaving the horse here not shipping back to Delaware.

chadk66 · 07-03-2015, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Milkshaker

Wow!

It was pretty surprising. They were actually people you would love to go have a beer with. I trained for a gal that was the racing secretaries secretary. Well her and her husband and their partners. Good people. I also trained for one of the original owners of the track until the track was sold to Ladbroke. He was kind of the silent partner that nobody knew much about. Super good guy. Canterbury's early days were kind of an anomaly. Believe it or not even the state/track vets were pretty good people to get along with. It was a pretty cohesive bunch. Made it a lot of fun. But I think the racing industry is generally like that with some exceptions of course.

chadk66 · 07-03-2015, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnmark

1.2 million bet on the card last night. Canterbury Park record handle. That obviously only goes back to when they reopened not Canterbury Downs heyday.

Still they are heading in the right direction.

Bob, Space Shot drilled them last night he ran a nice 2nd to AM Milky Way in his previous start.

I also spoke to the owner of Piko's Pride who ran 2nd or 3rd in the Count Fleet the last two years. He ran 2nd last weekend in the Dark Star. He said they are leaving the horse here not shipping back to Delaware.

I was gonna say we had larger handles than that the first couple years. The first year they averaged about a million a day. Just under that I think. And average attendance was about 13K. After the second year things steadily declined. Back then it was due to the horrible access to the track. The highway system was archaic down there and it was just bad getting there. Now it's very easy for the most part.

rgustafson · 07-03-2015, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mnmark

They have a solid Thursday night card tomorrow and Fridays card is even better. The Blair,s Cove and Princess Elaine turf Stakes races with full fields.

They have a 14% takeout on pick 3 and pick 4

The quality of racing this year is the best its been in a long time. I know there handle was up 20% a month into the meet. I am surprised that the increase is not larger. There product is as good as anyone on Thursday and Friday nights.

Over 1 million in off track handle last night, a Canterbury record for a non claiming crown card. Mark, I like to think your thread had a hand in that.

lamboguy · 07-03-2015, 08:34 AM

compared to other places they certainly put on a great show these days. of course i am saying this after a real good night there, but they still have big field sizes and money in those win pools. CLASSIC BLAZE ran a huge race in the 6th last night and should win next time out.

castaway01 · 07-03-2015, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgustafson

Over 1 million in off track handle last night, a Canterbury record for a non claiming crown card. Mark, I like to think your thread had a hand in that.

Sounds like they're making some progress. It's hard for a track to get noticed this time of year but if they keep up high-quality cards, maybe they can become the Tampa of the summer months and continue to grow their handle.