Mister Banjoman caps five-win night for Robertson in Minnesota Derby

Trainer Mac Robertson completed a sweep of the four Thoroughbred stakes on the Made In Minnesota card on Saturday night at Canterbury Park when Mister Banjoman successfully stretched his speed around two turns in the $100,000 Minnesota Derby.

Robertson's other stakes wins were the $50,000 Princess Elaine with Honey’s Sox Appeal, the $50,000 Blair’s Cove with Hot Shot Kid, and the $100,000 Minnesota Oaks with Ready to Runaway.

“We try to save for August and September,” Robertson said of the meet’s two major Minnesota-bred stakes cards during a post-race interview on the simulcast feed from Canterbury. (The next stakes program is Sept. 1.)

Robertson on Saturday also won an overnight race on the card to make for a five-win night. His victories came in consecutive races, from the fifth through ninth on the 10-race program that included a pair of stakes for Quarter Horses. The races were all restricted to Minnesota-breds and were run on a sloppy, sealed main track. There was no turf racing Saturday.

Mister Banjoman ($4.80) broke on top from his rail post and was content to let El Tizar take the lead, tracking that one in second. Mister Banjoman took over on the final turn and went on to a 1 1/2-length win in the one mile and 70-yard race that went in a hand-timed 1:43.13. Orlando Mojica – who had three stakes wins on the card – was aboard for Novogratz Racing Stable.

The start was the first at two turns for Mister Banjoman, a $200,000 yearling purchase by Maclean’s Music.

“He kept getting stronger,” Joe Novogratz said on the simulcast feed from Canterbury. “You couldn’t ask for anything more. I’m so proud of him.”

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Mister Banjoman won his career debut a year ago this week at Canterbury, and two starts later defeated open company in the track’s $75,000 Shakopee Juvenile. His other career stakes win came in the $50,000 Victor S. Myers on July 4 at Canterbury. He has now won five of eight starts and earned $201,621.

Dame Plata finished second, 4 1/2 lengths clear of third-place finisher Minnesota Miracle.

Ready to Runaway ($3) won her third straight race when she rallied from off the pace for a four-length victory over Grand Prize in the Minnesota Oaks. She covered one mile and 70 yards on a sloppy, sealed track in a hand-timed 1:43.33. (There were no fractional times available for the Minnesota Oaks or Minnesota Derby.)

Jareth Loveberry was aboard Ready to Ruanway for the win, which came following his recovery from a concussion. On the simulcast feed, he said he was grateful for the support of owner John Mentz and Robertson. Mentz claimed Ready to Runaway for $25,000 in June, and she was winning her second straight stakes for him, behind the $50,000 Frances Genter on July 4 at Canterbury.

“Super lucky,” Mentz said on the simulcast feed. “We won the shake to get the horse. We’re really lucky.”

Ready to Runaway is a daughter of First Dude who has now won four of six starts and earned $127,550.

The Blair’s Cove went to the popular Hot Shot Kid ($3) after he fought off Fireman Oscar for a half-length win in the off-the-turf stakes. Hot Shot Kid tracked Drop of Golden Sun through fractions of 23.38 seconds for the opening quarter and 48.55 for the half-mile before taking over through six furlongs in 1:12.52. In the stretch he was resilient, covering 1 1/16 miles on the sloppy, sealed track in 1:43.09.

Mojica was aboard Hot Shot Kid, who was winning his seventh career stakes in the Blair’s Cove. It also was the horse’s fourth victory at the meet. The son of Majestic Warrior is now 11 for 26 with earnings of $452,108. He races for his breeder, Warren Bush.

Honey’s Sox Appeal ($7) won the fifth stakes race of her career when she held off a storming Maywood Hope to capture the off-the-turf Princess Elaine by a neck. Mojica was aboard the winner for co-breeder and owner Robert Lindgren.

Honey’s Sox Appeal set fractions of 24.26 seconds for the opening quarter, 49.26 for the half-mile, and 1:13.38 for six furlongs before finishing 1 1/16 miles on a sloppy, sealed track in 1:44.34. The daughter of Successful Appeal has now won 10 of 24 starts and earned $384,120.