Holy Dynasty is the morning-ine favorite for $47,200 Minnesota Futurity on Saturday.

© Coady Media

By Jeff J. Maday

SHAKOPEE, MN—SEPTEMBER 3, 2025—The history of the Minnesota Festival of Champions, an evening of racing designed to showcase horses bred in the state, has been dominated by quarter horse trainers Ed Ross Hardy and Jason Olmstead.

They have won the Minnesota Quarter Horse Futurity and Minnesota Quarter Horse Derby a combined 34 times since 2001.

Although the Canterbury Park Hall of Famers may not hold hands as strongly as in past years, Hardy and Olmstead will be represented on Saturday in the 32nd rendition of the Festival, and a win by either would come as no surprise.

Olmstead has a trio in the $47,200 Minnesota Futurity. Bottumz Up is a maiden yet to finish in the top three in five races. Spicy Cartel broke her maiden earlier in the meet, beating stablemate Sophey, who also entered the Futurity.

Jockey Mario Delgado will be aboardmorning-line favorite L Conejo in the $48,000 Minnesota Derby. © Coady Media

A win has been elusive for Sophey who has flashed talent and speed from the gate. She has three thirds and a second-place finish in four starts most recently finishing second by a head in an open-company futurity trial. Leading jockey Armando Alvidrez is named to ride.

The morning line favorite in the Futurity is Holy Dynasty, trained by Pat Swan for owner and breeder Dan Kjorsvik. Holy Dynasty won the North Star State Futurity on June 11, beating six of the eight foes he will face Saturday. Holy Dynasty is out of the thoroughbred mare Holy White Sox who produced the 2020 Futurity winner Corona White Sox, also trained by Swan.

Del Cartel was second in the North Star State Futurity. He will be ridden by Mario Delgado and is trained by Haley Hobbs.

Hobbs will saddle morning line favorite L Conejo in the $48,000 Minnesota Derby with Delgado as the rider. Of the 10 entered in the Derby, L Conejo is the only 3-year-old in the race to have a win at the 400-yard distance. That win came in the June 11 North Star State Derby. He subsequently finished second while facing older in the Bob Morehouse Stakes, third in a qualifying trial against open company, and fourth in the Canterbury Park Quarter Horse Derby.

Hardy entered Eos Keep Dreamin, winner of last year’s Minnesota Futurity, in his attempt to win his 11th Minnesota Derby. Eos Keep Dreamin finished third by 3/4 of a length in the North Star State Derby.

Olmstead, who has four times swept the two Festival races, has two entered in the Derby. Shes Hell bent is unraced since finishing a head behind Da Lie Lah July 3. If the family tree is relevant in the Derby, Da Lie Lah stands a good chance as three full siblings have won this race:  Pyc Jess Bite Mydust in 2017, Dickey Bob in 2018 and Jess Rocket Man in 2021. All are by Apollitical Jess out of the mare Paint Or More and bred by Lunderborg, LLC.

The 440-yard cash Caravan Stakes was originally scheduled for Aug. 13 but failed to fill and was added to the Festival card. The quarter-mile race with a $22,800 purse drew a field of seven, including Relentless Legacy, who won the race in 2023, and this year was the convincing winner of the Bob Morehouse. The 6-year-old is trained by Olmstead, who has won the Cash Caravan the past seven years.

The 11-race Minnesota Festival of Champions program begins with eight thoroughbred races followed by the Minnesota Futurity, Minnesota Derby, and Cash Caravan Stakes. Racing starts at 5:10 p.m. (CDT).

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