Mr. Jagermeister might try turf in Mystic Lake Derby

Mr. Jagermeister, an unusually talented Minnesota-bred, has so far only been a dirt sprinter, but the 3-year-old Canterbury Park-based colt might be taking his talents to turf.

Mr. Jagermeister earlier this year ran into Ax Man in the San Vicente Stakes and Mitole in the Bachelor Stakes, two of the fastest 3-year-old dirt horses in North America. Facing older horses but moving back into Minnesota-bed competition, Mr. Jagermeister dominated the 10,000 Lakes Stakes over six furlongs on dirt last Saturday, earning a career-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure while winning by more than eight lengths.

But Valorie Lund, who trains Mr. Jagermeister and is part of his ownership group, is in no hurry to go out on the road looking for competition like Ax Man or Mitole anytime soon.

“Right now, I’m just planning to keep him here for the summer unless I can’t get a race to go for him,” Lund said Wednesday. “Just as he was an immature 2-year-old, he’s still got developing to do as a 3-year-old, and I still don’t think he’ll be at his very best until next year. I’ll pick races for him and not run him too hard as a 3-year-old and hopefully have a very solid 4-year-old.”

Mr. Jagermeister has a lot of natural speed but has learned to harness it, and Lund feels that the colt, by Atta Boy Roy (a talented sprinter whom she also trained) might be able to switch to turf routing. The Mystic Lake Derby is a $200,000 race right at home June 23, and Lund said she’ll work Mr. Jagermeister on grass, probably a week from Saturday, to see if he merits a look in that race.

“I kind of suspect he will just from his action,” Lund said.

If his action translates to turf ability, a whole new set of races will open for Mr. Jagermeister – even if his true calling turns out to be dirt sprinting.