Captivating Moon a question for Mystic Lake Derby

Derby Day comes early this year at Canterbury Park.

The Twin Cities-area track’s richest race, the $200,000 Mystic Lake Derby, has been a late-summer fixture, but the one-mile grass race for 3-year-olds was moved forward on the calendar this year and anchors a five-stakes card Saturday night.

The Derby is carded as race 5, post time is 8:18 Central, and is immediately preceded by the $100,000 Mystic Lake Mile and the $100,000 Lady Canterbury, two more turf races. It is immediately followed by two $50,000 dirt sprints, the Dark Star and the Hoist Her Flag.

Clear, pleasant late-week weather should produce ideal conditions, with the turf course certain to be firm.

What wasn’t firm as of Thursday afternoon was whether Captivating Moon, the 7-2 morning-line favorite, would travel from Arlington to start in the Mystic Lake Derby, which drew a field of 14. Chris Block trains Captivating Moon for owner-breeder Bob Lothenbach, a Minnesotan whose home track is Canterbury. Block had been pointing Captivating Moon, who has turned in three good second-place stakes finishes in a row this spring, to the June 7 American Derby as a stepping-stone to the Grade 1 Secretariat in August before being notified that the Mystic Lake Derby probably was the preferred option.

“I’m not saying he’s not ready to go,” said Block, who won this for Lothenbach with Nun The Less two years ago. “I think he’s pretty fit and didn’t lose a lot since his last race. But I didn’t set him up the way I would’ve had I known that was the way he was headed.”

Captivating Moon has a strong late punch but turns back to a mile from longer races and will have to find a way through a big field under Carlos Marquez Jr.

“I’m a little worried about a large field on a tight turf course. I’m afraid traffic could be a problem,” Block said.

A final decision on Captivating Moon’s participation was due later Thursday, with the horse scheduled to ship Friday. Curlin’s Honor, however, already has made his way to Canterbury from New York by way of Kentucky, and he is a threat off the form he showed finishing second to Gidu on May 26 at Belmont Park, his turf debut. That race was contested around one turn at seven furlongs, but trainer Mark Casse believes the two-turn mile will be fine.

“He kind of got stopped last time and galloped out really strong. I think the mile will be to his benefit,” Casse said.

Minnesota-bred star Mr. Jagermeister tries two turns and turf for the first time Saturday. He’s a fast horse, but trainer Valorie Lund thinks Mr. Jagermeister could rate just off the speed. Lund believes Mr. Jagermeister can stay a mile and said the greater question is how he handles turf.

Reride, trained by Steve Asmussen, won a Keeneland allowance race last fall in his only turf try. He makes his first start since finishing a distant third in the $2 million UAE Derby in Dubai and can contend if he’s able to overcome post 13.