Fastest qualifier Veuve Clicquot broke her maiden in the Gopher State Derby trials on May 25.

© Coady Phtography

SHAKOPEE, MN—JUNE 6, 2019 —The field is set for the second stakes race of the current Canterbury Park Quarter Horse meet; ten horses will run in the $57,325 Gopher State Derby this Saturday, June 8.

The morning-line favorite for Saturday’s feature race is Spy For The Senate. The son of Louisiana Senator won his trial, the first of four on May 25, and was the fourth overall fastest qualifier with a time of 20:122 for 400 yards. Spy for the Senate faced a 38 mph headwind in his trial and earned the highest Trackmaster speed figure in the field for that day.

Spy for the Senate has won four of his ten lifetime starts and has earnings of $46,841. He is the only stakes winner in the field; as a 2-year-old, Spy for the Senate won the $99,700 Alex Picov Memorial Futurity at Ajax Downs in October for trainer Jason Pascoe and owner Milena Kwiecien.

Third fastest qualifier One Famous Ocean is the second choice on the morning line and certainly will take money from the local crowd. Her ownership group comprises some of the top owners at Canterbury, Tom and Bill Maher and Summer Run, Inc. as well as some new owners to the Quarter Horse game, the L Team. The L Team brings the support of the local professional sports market to the racetrack as a partnership of Canterbury Park track announcer and voice of the Minnesota Vikings Paul Allen and Alex Stalock, a goalie for the Minnesota Wild.

One Famous Ocean is out of the Ocean Runaway mare A Tempting Ocean, who is a half-brother to multiple graded stakes winner Tempting Dash. This will be the One Famous Eagle filly’s stakes debut and she is one of four entries from the Jason Olmstead barn.

Clinton Crawford will bring five of the ten horses in the field, including fastest qualifier Veuve Clicquot. Veuve Clicquot broke her maiden in her trial, which was also her Canterbury Park debut. The Pyc Paint Your Wagon filly posted a final time of 19.870.

Two other horses to watch from a pedigree standpoint are Sunlight Seven and The Bald Eagle.

Sunlight Seven is a Valiant Hero filly out of the Ivory James mare Midnight Sunlight; Midnight Sunlight was the winner of the $59,800 Northlands Futurity at Canterbury in 2012 and was second in the Grade 2 $358,500 Oklahoma Futurity at Remington Park.

The Bald Eagle is rarely out of the money in his Canterbury efforts. A son of One Famous Eagle, The Bald Eagle is out of Corona Deluxe by Corona Cartel, making him a full brother to multiple stakes winner Eagle Deluxe.

The $57,325 Gopher State Derby is Race 2 on Saturday at Canterbury Park. Estimated post time is 1:19 pm CT.

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

1. Hey Seis: Clinton Crawford, Froylan Ramirez, 12-1
2. Spy for the Senate: Jason Pascoe, Shanley Jackson, 3-1
3. Veuve Clicquot: Clinton Crawford, Stormy Smith, 9-2
4. One Famous Ocean: Jason Olmstead, Ry Eikleberry, 7-2
5. Sunlight Seven: Clinton Crawford, Gonzalo Gutierrez, 10-1
6. Fast Bobby: Clinton Crawford, Josh Romero, 6-1
7. The Bald Eagle: Jason Olmstead, Julian Serrano, 8-1
8. Cashair: Jason Olmstead, Jorge Torres, 12-1
9. This Political Candy: Clinton Crawford, Eugenio Alberto Navarrete, 15-1
10. Cr Lil Bro: Jason Olmstead, Marcus Swiontek, 15-1

The 2019 Canterbury Park Quarter Horse stakes schedule includes 17 stakes races worth over $700,000.

Live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing continues through Saturday, September 14, 2019. The 70-day race meet offers racing on Thursday and Friday evenings at 6:00 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.