CANTERBURY PARK in 2013
Canterbury Park in Shakopee opens a 69-day racing season — its longest since 2006 — on Friday.
THE BASICS
Dates: May 17-Sept. 14. Racing will be held on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through June 9. Starting on June 13, the schedule runs Thursdays through Sundays until Sept. 1; on the final two weekends, races will be held Thursdays through Saturdays. Special holiday cards will be held on Memorial Day (Monday), July 3 (Wednesday) and Labor Day (Monday).
Post times: 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 1:30 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. The July 3 races have a special post time of 4 p.m.
Admission: $5 ($3 with MVP card). Kids under 17 are admitted free and must be accompanied by an adult. Reserved seating options include box seats ($2), handicapping tables ($3) and tables in the clubhouse and restaurant, which seat up to six people ($20). Call 952-445-7224 to reserve.
Parking: General parking is free; preferred parking is $3; and valet is $6 ($3 with MVP card).
KEY DATES
July 4 weekend: Five days of racing — highlighted by the $100,000 Mystic Lake Northlands Futurity, the richest quarter horse race in Canterbury Park history, on July 5 and fireworks on July 3.
July 13: $100,000 Lady Canterbury Stakes and $125,000 Mystic Lake Mile.
July 20: Extreme Race Day, which includes races for ostriches and camels.
Aug. 3: The $200,000 Mystic Lake Derby, the richest race held at Canterbury since 1991, headlines a day of six-figure stakes that also includes the $100,000 Shakopee Juvenile Stakes and the $100,000 Northbound Pride Oaks.
Aug. 17: Fillies Race for Hope, a day of racing for fillies only that raises money for breast cancer charities.
Sept. 1: Minnesota Festival of Champions, a day of racing for Minnesota-bred horses that offers more than $430,000 in purses.
WHAT'S NEW?
• Weekday post times have been moved up 30 minutes to 6:30 p.m.
• The season will extend for six days beyond its traditional Labor Day closing, ending Sept. 14.
• A new $1.5 million tote board in the infield features an 800-square-foot video screen and the capability to display odds for as many as 14 horses, allowing for larger fields. There also is a new 25-foot video screen in the paddock area.
rachel blount
