Hoist Her Flag dead at 25

Hoist Her Flag, one of the very first horses inducted into the Canterbury Park Hall of Fame, was euthanized on Monday at the age of 25 due to the effects of melanoma. A gray daughter of Aferd produced from the Beauquillo mare Sue La Con, Hoist Her Flag will be remembered by many Minnesota racing fans as this track's first "big horse."

Hoist Her Flag raced for over five years at Canterbury, winning 19 races, including 10 stakes, and $290,849 in 43 starts. Bred in North Dakota by Kermit Moen, Hoist Her Flag was purchased and campaigned by Dan and Beverly Mjolsness of Red Wing, Minn., who raced their filly in the name of their farm's Seven Springs Racing. Hoist Her Flag was trained by Greg Markgraf and took on the best sprinters at Canterbury, including stakes winners Joel, Momsfurrari, Pentelicus, Orphan Kist, Split Rock, and Who Doctor Who. Hoist Her Flag was second to Who Doctor Who in a highly anticipated match race at Canterbury that sparked interest in both Minnesota and Nebraska, where Who Doctor Who was based.

* The Minnesota Thoroughbred Association's annual yearling auction will be held at noon Saturday in the paddock walking ring at Canterbury Park. The auction features 76 yearlings and an additional five that would go through the ring in the event of scratches.

Yearlings by regional sires Quaker Hill, Ghazi, Late Edition, Shot of Gold, Sam Lord's Castle, and Tahkodha Hills are featured in addition to prospects by the proven sires Honour and Glory, Sky Classic, Belong to Me, and Officer. Yearlings will be paraded in the paddock on Friday at 4:30 p.m. Catalogs are available at the association's website: www.mtassoc.com