Canterbury Park Quarter Horse of the Meet 2016Pyc Jess Bite Mydust will head the inaugural running of the $24,000 North Star State Stakes Saturday at Canterbury Park.

© Coady Photography

By Jennifer Perkins

SHAKOPEE, MN—JUNE 3, 2018—Canterbury Park hosts its first Quarter Horse stakes of the 2018 meet on today (Jun 3), including the North Star State Stakes. The 300-yard event is restricted to Minnesota-bred 3-year-olds and up.

The inaugural running of the $24,000 North Star State Stakes is highlighted by the 2016 Canterbury Park Quarter Horse of the Meet, Pyc Jess Bite Mydust. The morning-line favorite at 7-5, Pyc Jess Bite Mydust will be making his third start of 2018 after two efforts against optional claiming company at Remington Park.

Pyc Jess Bite Mydust is owned and bred by Bruce and Judy Lunderborg, by Apollitical Jess and out of the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Paint or More. The 4-year-old gelding is trained by Jason Olmstead, two-time earner of the Canterbury Park Quarter Horse training title, and will be ridden by Cristian Esqueda.

With over $155,000 in lifetime earnings, Pyc Jess Bite Mydust leads the field by earnings. He has won three of his 13 career starts and has never finished worse than second in seven starts at Canterbury. He won the $50,000 Minnesota Derby in 2017 and competed in the Grade 1 Southwest Juvenile Invitational at Zia in 2016.

Pyc Jess Bite Mydust is a full brother to Dickey Bob, winner of the 2017 $51,000 Minnesota Futurity.

The state-bred field of eight also includes the accomplished mare Blacks Cartel (3-1), trained by Casey Black for owner Tracy Black. Jockey Ismael Ricardo Suarez has the call for the first time since her win in the $41,000 Cash Caravan Stakes at Canterbury last July. Blacks Cartel’s 2017 campaign also included second-place finishes in the $33,000 Canterbury Distaff Challenge and the $29,000 Bob Morehouse Stakes and an appearance in the AQHA Distaff Challenge Championship (G1) at Prairie Meadows.

The $24,000 North Star State Stakes is Race 2 on Sunday at Canterbury Park. Estimated post time is 1:23 pm CT.

The field, by post position, with trainer, jockey and morning-line odds:

1. Rey D Arranque: Randy Weidner, Marcus Swiontek, 8-1
2. Pyc Jess Bite Mydust: Jason Olmstead, Cristian Esqueda, 7-5
3. Curious James: Mark Wilson, Nik Goodwin, 12-1
4. Shakemupbayb: Kim Christenson, Jansen Melancon, 15-1
5. Jess a Rumor: Ralph Haglund, Jake Samuels, 10-1
6. Jess a Chance: Ralph Haglund, Brayan Velazquez, 12-1
7. Gramma Ella: Jerry Livingston, Ry Eikleberry, 6-1
8. Blacks Cartel: Casey Black, Ismael Suarez Ricardo, 3-1

The 2018 Canterbury Park Quarter Horse stakes schedule includes 16 stakes races worth over $660,000.

Live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing continues through Saturday, September 15, 2018. The 70-day race meet offers racing on Thursday and Friday evenings at 6:30 pm CT and Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 12:45 pm CT. in June and July. Quarter horse racing is held at the beginning of each race card.