Longshots strike in Canterbury Park stakes

SHAKOPEE, Minn. – Before a crowd of over 17,000, longshots captured the two stakes at Canterbury Park Thursday evening. The 7-1 Ragged Edge won the $60,000 Blair's Cove for 3-year-olds and up by two lengths, and 9-1 Dear Fay took the $60,000 Princess Elaine for fillies and mares by a length. Both were run at 1 1/16 miles on turf.

In the Blair’s Cove Stakes, Ragged Edge laid off the fast early pace set by Mack’s Tiger Paw and came charging hard in the lane under Martin Escobar to draw off ahead of another closer, Sheer Trick. Favored Ghost Dance, close to the pace early, settled for third.

“This is the horse nobody bid on,” said Cheryl Sprick, who owns and bred Ragged Edge along with Richard Bremer. “We had him in the Minnesota Thoroughbred Association sale when he was a yearling, but with no bids we took him home.”

“This horse couldn’t run a lick over the dirt,” said Bremer. “His trainer at 2 down in Iowa told us that maybe we should find him a new career. But once we got him on the grass, he was a different horse. He just keeps getting better and better."

Trained now by Bernell Rhone, Ragged Edge paid $17.60, $8.40 and $5. Sheer Trick returned $5.60 and $3.60, while Ghost Dance paid $3. He covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.67.

In the Princess Elaine, Dear Fay surged to the lead coming out of the turn for home and edged away from 6-1 runner-up Go Go Jill to win by a length, covering the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.81. Justin Shepherd rode Dear Fay, who is trained by Mac Robertson.

“I had to wait on her a bit, but she’s as push-button as a horse can be,” Shepherd said.

"She’s really a Cadillac to ride and makes me look good. She really ran her eyeballs out.”

Dear Fay paid $20, $8.60 and $5.20. Go Go Jill returned $7.20 and $4.20, while favored Talkin Bout finished third and paid $3.40.

In the fifth race on Thursday, a $35,000 allowance, Castletown set a track record for five furlongs on the turf of 55.38. Castletown is owned by Mercedes Stables, trained by Robertino Diodoro and was ridden by Scott Stevens.