Minnesota Derby will test Mr. Jagermeister's stamina

Mr. Jagermeister has towered over his fellow Minnesota-breds at Canterbury Park since his debut a little more than a year ago, winning all four of his races in statebred company by a combined margin of more than 41 lengths. However, his dominance came under conditions that perfectly suited the speedy colt, sprinting six furlongs or even shorter.

On Saturday, when he races against Twoko Bay, Cinco Star, Speeding Kid, and three other foes in the $100,000 Minnesota Derby at Canterbury, conditions will have changed, and perhaps, too, his level of authority. The race is at a mile and 70 yards, making it the longest race of his career.

Twice Mr. Jagermeister has raced beyond six furlongs, and both starts resulted in rear-half finishes, though neither race would seem a fair gauge of his ability to stay a mile and 70 yards against Minnesota-breds. One defeat came when he faded to sixth in the Grade 2 San Vicente at Santa Anita going seven furlongs after engaging in a speed duel. The other was when he raced on grass in the one-mile Mystic Lake Derby at Canterbury, tiring to 10th over a surface that he may not have cared for.

“It will be a real test for him, stretching out to the mile and 70,” trainer Valorie Lund said. “But I believe he is going to run well in that. We’ve been specifically training him to run the route.”

That preparation has included long gallops punctuated by three-furlong blowouts, moves that left rider Leandro Goncalves thrilled by how relaxed and strong the horse was, Lund said.

Mr. Jagermeister’s pedigree reflects a mixture of speed and stamina. His sire, Atta Boy Roy, won at a mile but was most effective at seven furlongs or shorter. Meanwhile, his dam scored her only victory at a mile and 70 yards at Canterbury.

If he struggles to last in the Minnesota Derby, the colt most likely to pounce would appear to be Twoko Bay, a winner of his two starts, both times routing. He is the 5-1 second favorite on the morning line behind Mr. Jagermeister at 4-5 odds.

One race before the Minnesota Derby is its sister race, the Minnesota Oaks, which like the derby is being contested for a record $100,000 purse. Once again, the distance looms an unknown for many of its competitors.

Simran, a winner of three straight, has been the top performer in the division in recent months, but is unraced beyond three-quarters of a mile, and the Minnesota Oaks is at a mile and 70 yards.

Saturday’s 11-race card also includes three stakes for Quarter Horses, who kick off the afternoon’s racing. The Oaks and derby go as the sixth and seventh races at 3:17 p.m. and 3:47 Central.