Even Thunder finishes strongly in Shakopee Juvenile
Even Thunder stormed home from the back of the pack and won the $75,000 Shakopee Juvenile by four lengths on closing day at Canterbury Park.
Ridden by Erick Cruz for trainer Dan McFarlane and owner Michael Barro, Even Thunder ran six furlongs on a fast track in 1:09.92, the same time as the older listed-stakes-winning sprinter Storm Power one race earlier, suggesting his performance was more than merely visually impressive.
Even Thunder, a 2-year-old colt by Even the Score out of the Thunder Gulch mare Strikes of Thunder, was making his fourth start of this meet, but third in blinkers. The equipment change appeared to move him up in his second start, a narrow win over Line Judge, who came back to win the $41,000 Careless Navigator Stakes on Aug. 27 at Canterbury, a race in which Even Thunder had a poor start and rallied for second.
Even Thunder ($12.60) didn’t have a clean start Saturday, getting bumped at the break and racing seventh of eight as the unbeaten filly Shipmate, pursued by Jack Snipe’s, went an opening quarter-mile in 22.11 seconds. The pace around the turn was demanding as Jack Snipe’s closed in on Shipmate through a half-mile in 44.95, and by the top of the stretch, Even Thunder had found his best stride. Cruz tipped him three or four paths wide after straightening for home and Even Thunder quickly dispatched of the two in front of him, going on to an easy, eye-catching win. Jack Snipe’s ran well enough to finish second, 5 1/2 lengths in front of Warrior’s Kid, as Shipmate, the 2-1 favorite, faded to sixth.
Storm Power was up late under Scott Stevens to win the $41,700 Tom Metzen H.B.P.A. Stakes, beating Pricelesscommodity by three-quarters of a length. Trained by Robertino Diodoro for the Mercedes Stable LLC, Storm Power, a son of Tiz Wonderful, ran six furlongs in 1:09.92 and paid $6.80 wining for the seventh time in 22 starts.