Midnight Current earns sixth straight win with Princess Elaine

Midnight Current won her sixth consecutive race Saturday in the $100,000 Princess Elaine at Canterbury Park to top an outstanding Minnesota Festival of Champions card for breeder and owner Bob Lothenbach and trainer Joel Berndt.

The Princess Elaine was one of six Minnesota-bred stakes for Thoroughbreds on the card, and Lothenbach and Berndt teamed to win four of them. Overall, the men had five winners together on the program. Lothenbach bred the winners of four stakes on the night, and a total of five winners on the card.

“To put this group of horses together on the same card and win, it’s pretty special,” Berndt said in a post-race interview conducted by Canterbury.

Midnight Current ($3.20), a homebred for Lothenbach, was content to sit just off the pace in the Princess Elaine for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on firm turf. Scent of Success took the field through fractions of 24.27 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.88 for the half-mile, and 1:11.07 for six furlongs. Midnight Current was angled off the rail on the final turn, dug in to reach the lead in the stretch, and went on to cover the distance in a stakes-record time of 1:41.28.

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It eclipsed the mark of 1:41.40 by last year’s winner, Rush Hour Traffic, it was announced at Canterbury.

“The trip today was great,” winning rider Harry Hernandez said in an interview conducted by Canterbury. “It felt like we were walking, which is why we stayed so close to [Scent of Success].”

Midnight Current won by a length over stablemate Let’s Skedaddle. It was another 1 3/4 lengths back in third to Scent of Success.

Midnight Current began her streak last September at Canterbury. She’s won all five of her starts this meet. Midnight Current was winning her second stakes of the season, behind the $50,000 Minnesota Turf Distaff in July. The daughter of Midnight Lute has now won 7 of 13 starts for earnings of $211,500.

Lothenbach homebred It’s Bobs Business improved his record to 2 for 2 with a 7 1/4-length victory over Hand Pay in the $100,000 Northern Lights Futurity.

It’s Bobs Business ($2.80) broke last of all from the rail, moved up quickly down the backside, came four wide around the turn, hit the lead in the stretch and pulled away. He covered six furlongs on a fast track in 1:11.72.

Constantino Roman was aboard for Berndt.

It’s Bobs Business entered the Northern Lights off an 11 3/4-length maiden special weight win at Canterbury. He is a son of Bolt d’Oro.

Love the Nest ($7) closed into a hot pace to defeat older rivals in the $100,000 Minnesota Sprint. He won by 2 3/4 lengths over Doctor Oscar, while it was another 7 3/4 lengths back in third to Prince Rama.

Love the Nest, who is owned by Lothenbach and trained by Berndt, settled into third as Doctor Oscar and Thealligatorhunter dueled through an opening quarter in 21.38 seconds and a half-mile in 43.71. The eventual winner put in a determined run through the stretch, and covered six furlongs in 1:09.71.

“As he’s aged, he’s become a lot more professional,” winning rider Ry Eikleberry said in an interview with Canterbury.

Love the Nest, who was bred by Pete Mattson, was cutting back from a two-turn victory in the Minnesota Derby. Love the Nest is a son of Blame who has now won 5 of 7 starts for earnings of $244,275.

Lothenbach homebred Charlie’s Penny ($3.80) won the final Thoroughbred stakes on the card when she shuttled home by 5 1/4 lengths over Ready to Runaway in the $100,000 Distaff Sprint. It was another two lengths back in third to Clickbait.

Eikleberry was aboard Charlie’s Penny, who stalked pacesetter Star of the North before going on to cover the six furlongs for fillies and mares in 1:10. Charlie’s Penny is a daughter of Race Day trained by Berndt.

Earlier on the card, Lothenbach homebred Loring Park ($5) won an allowance for Berndt.

“It’s a privilege for me to train for him,” Berndt said.

*** Lothenbach-bred Stitzy ($17.80) led throughout for a length win in the $100,000 Blair’s Cove. He won the 1 1/16 miles turf race for 3-year-olds and up in 1:42.10. Ezequiel Lara was aboard the son of English Channel for Fifth Street Stables and trainer Jose Silva Jr.

*** Lover Girl ($28.20) was a two-length winner over pacesetter Thunders Rocknroll in the Northern Lights Debutante, covering six furlongs in 1:12.86. Karlo Lopez was aboard the daughter of Congrats for Gary and Brenda Bergsrud and trainer Matt Williams.