A full field will compete in the $24,000 Mean Competitor Stakes Friday at Canterbury Park.

© Coady Photography

SHAKOPEE, MN—AUGUST 9, 2018—The first of two stakes races on the Friday night card at Canterbury and first of four for the upcoming weekend is the return of the $24,000 Mean Competitor, an 870-yard stakes race not seen for several years and reintroduced as the only stakes race for distance Quarter Horses in Minnesota in 2018.

The Mean Competitor drew a full field for eight, including the morning line favorite Hiclass Man. Hiclass Man hails from the Patrick Swan barn for owner/breeder Jo Rice and will be ridden by Brayan Velazquez. The 5-year-old Brimmerton gelding has been stabled at Canterbury this summer and has a win and a second-place finish in two starts in Shakopee this summer, both in 870-yard races.

Hiclass Man was second in the Grade 3 Covered Bridges last fall at Prairie Meadows and also competed in the Grade 2 Remington Park Distance Challenge earlier this year. He has three wins at the distance and has finished in the money in seven of his ten lifetime attempts around the turn.

Drawn next to Hiclass Man is Blue Eyed Andy and Berkley Packer for trainer Allen Hybsha. The 6-year-old gelding was second to Hiclass Man in their last start at Canterbury. Blue Eyed Andy is a specialist at this distance; over half of his lifetime starts have been in hook races. He has finished in the money in 16 of his 19 starts in 870-yard events, including five wins.

The Charles Hunt-trained Haynes Blue Boy is one to watch in Friday night’s stake: the 4-year-old Jess Louisiana Blue gelding has only made four starts at the distance but has won twice. Though he has yet to hit the board at Canterbury, he competed against many of the same horses in this field in their last start, in which he broke poorly. In his previous start, his first since winning back-to-back hook races at Prairie Meadows last fall, he blew the turn and lost to one of the top distance horses of 2018, Blazen Panther.

Haynes Blue Boy won the Grade 3 Covered Bridges last year as a heavy favorite under Stormy Smith; Jorge Torres has the call on Friday night. Haynes Blue Boy is out of the Wave Carver mare Wave Corona.

The race is named after Mean Competitor, a multiple stakes winner whose career spanned seven years. He won over $100,000 in 69 starts, including 20 wins at Canterbury, the Woodlands, Blue Ribbon and more, set two track records at Canterbury, and was inducted into the Canterbury Park Hall of Fame in 2003.

The $24,000 Mean Competitor Stakes is Race 1 on Friday evening at Canterbury Park. Estimated post time is 6:15 pm CT.

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

1. Lota Legacy, Allen Hybsha, Denny Velazquez, 12-1
2. Haynes Blue Boy, Charles Hunt, Jorge Torres, 6-1
3. Toast on Fire, Bob Johnson, Jake Samuels, 10-1
4. Streakin in the City, Randy Weidner, Marcus Swiontek, 8-1
5. No Such Tellin, Ron Addicott, Patrick Canchari, 15-1
6. Hiclass Man, Patrick Swan, Brayan Velazquez, 5-2
7. Blue Eyed Andy, Allen Hybsha, Berkley Packer, 3-1
8. Wicked Valentine, Charles Hunt, Nik Goodwin, 4-1

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 Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings at 6:30 pm CT and Saturday afternoons at 12:45 pm CT through August. Quarter horse racing is held at the beginning of each race card.