10,000 Lakes matches former winners; Thunders Rocknroll seeks repeat in Lady Slipper
Several of the best Minnesota-bred thoroughbreds will race in a pair of $50,000 state-restricted sprint stakes, the 10,000 Lakes and the Lady Slipper, on Saturday at Canterbury Park. The eight-race program will begin at 4:02 p.m. central, an hour earlier than customary Saturday first post, to accommodate a simulcast of the 156th Belmont Stakes, the $2 million third leg of the Triple Crown from Saratoga Race Course in New York.
The 10,000 Lakes Stakes will be run as the third race. Of the five entered in the six furlong sprint, three are past winners of the race and met in the 2024 rendition with Sir Sterling finishing first, Doctor Oscar second and Thealligatorhunter third. The field is completed by Distorted Pro and North Arm Bay who is re-entered for Sunday.
Doctor Oscar won the 10,000 Lakes in 2023 and went on to be named horse of meet following a campaign where the now 6-year-old won three of four starts. Thealligatorhunter was second in the ’23 rendition after a dead heat for the win the prior year. He is fifth in all-time earnings at Canterbury with $406,354 and will be ridden Saturday by Constantino Roman. Alonzo Quinonez will ride 6 to 5 morning line favorite Doctor Oscar. Both are trained by Tim Padilla.
The Lady Slipper Stakes, run as race seven, attracted a field of six fillies and mares including defending Lady Slipper champion Thunders Rocknroll who will be ridden by Quinonez. Xtreme Racing Stables LLC owns the morning line favorite Xtreme Diva and second choice Cupids Crush. Mac Robertson trains both. Harry Hernandez, the leading jockey with 10 wins through five days of racing, will ride Xtreme Diva.
The Lady Slipper field also includes Retired Kathy, trained by Padilla, as well as O’Babe and Carson Bay, both from the barn of Gary Scherer.
Carson Bay, who has four wins from 10 career starts including her maiden victory last September at Canterbury, is the only 3-year-old in the field. She will be ridden by Erica Murray and is owned
by Valene Farms LLC. “She’s shown great speed,” Murray said. All four wins have come when she was on or near the lead. “She’s a talented filly. I think she is still developing her style.”
A seven-race card is set for Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. Canterbury Park’s 51-day season runs through September 20.
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