Mr. Jagermeister dominates Minnesota Derby

Mr. Jagermeister entered Saturday’s $100,000 Minnesota Derby as the best 3-year-old Minnesota-bred sprinter. He exited it as simply the best, period.

Dominating the two-turn Minnesota Derby at Canterbury Park in the same fashion that he had in sprints against statebred competition, he quickly recovered from a tardy start to run his rivals off their feet. He threw down quick fractions of 23.24 seconds, 46.47, and 1:10.23 going a mile and 70 yards, and just kept adding to his lead down the stretch while racing wide under jockey Leandro Goncalves. He checked in 10 lengths on top, stopping the clock in near track-record time of 1:40.37 over a fast surface.

Valorie Lund, who trains him and co-owns with Kristin Boice and Leslie Cummings, said keeping Mr. Jagermeister wide was the strategy to avoid him taking outside pressure and to keep him relaxed.

“You know, he has a very high cruising speed,” she said. “He’s just a naturally fast horse. I can’t train it into him. He was born with it. It’s his gift.”

A son of Atta Boy Roy, a graded stakes winner Lund also trained, Mr. Jagermeister paid $3.20 in winning for the sixth time in 11 starts in taking the Minnesota Derby, and recorded his first victory at a route. He had only routed once previously, finishing 10th in the Mystic Lake Derby at Canterbury against open company when competing on turf.

Following Mr. Jagermeister across the wire in second was runner-up Cinco Star, who finished 3 3/4 lengths in front of third-place Twoko Bay, who was largely a non-factor with a wide trip. Moonlite Joey was fourth.

Firstmate wins Minnesota Oaks

In a race before the Minnesota Derby, 2-1 favorite Firstmate triumphed in the Derby’s sister race, the $100,000 Minnesota Oaks.

A filly that had rallied from the rear half of the pack in her five prior starts, Firstmate was sharper early in the Minnesota Oaks with a stretch-out in distance and with blinkers added for the first time. That set her up to sit a favorable trip, stalking in fourth behind Helen’sphotoflash and Rock That Jewel as those two rivals established splits of 23.05 and 47.02.

Firstmate picked up her pace on the second turn under leading jockey Ry Eikleberry, cruising up to Rock That Jewel, who had taken command. She then made the lead with six furlongs in 1:12.66 and pulled clear down the lane for a 4 1/2-length victory. She raced a mile and 70 yards in 1:44.66, more than four seconds slower than the time of Mr. Jagermeister. She returned $6.

The Minnesota Oaks marked the first stakes victory in six starts for the winner, a 3-year-old Minnesota-bred daughter of Midshipman trained by Joe Sharp and owned by Joni and Barry Butzow.

Rock That Jewel managed to hold second, well clear of the rest of the field. Helen'sphotoflash was third, and Maywood Hope ran fourth.