Mystic Lake Derby a true puzzle
The Mystic Lake Derby, richest race of the Canterbury Park season, mystifies in multiple manners.
For instance, how could a $200,000 race, carded at one mile on grass for 3-year-olds, attract such a ragtag mishmash of an eight-horse field? Dunph is listed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite, and in his two grass races he finished sixth by eight lengths and eighth by 8 1/4 lengths. His Mike Maker-trained stablemate Faraway Kitten is 7-2 on the line, and while he has better-looking turf form, his grass victory his season came in a mere $50,000 claiming race against seven rivals.
Here’s another difficult question: Who in the world is going to win this race, one of five stakes and the featured seventh race (post time 8:25 Central) on Saturday evening at Canterbury?
Don’t be surprised if there are scratches. Folks who follow the pace of entries at Canterbury report the Mystic Lake Derby had only a handful of entries late the morning the race was drawn, and the feel of a field that was hustled hard by racing office staff. Winning Number has impressed winning two sprints to start his career, but both were dirt races and his connections, trainer Brian House and owner James Spry, also have the overseas import Spectralight entered. Spectralight, a filly, raced six times last year in Italy and won three of those starts, though she was sixth in her only stakes try. That start came on soft ground she might not have enjoyed, and the local forecast calls for a good chance of rain starting Thursday night and running through Sunday. The turf course could use some moisture with more than one local horseman reporting the ground was hard and fast as of midweek.
In addition to the Maker pair and the House pair, the other entrants are Couch Trainer, Bizzee Channel, Senor Friday, and Thetrashmanscoming.
Couch Trainer appears to be overmatched, but none of the others can be disregarded. Bizzee Channel ships in from Arlington for trainer Larry Rivelli with Chicago-based jockey Jose Valdivia Jr. named to ride. Bizzee Channel won an off-turf five-furlong maiden race at Arlington in his only start this year. During the second part of 2018 he was third in a Kentucky Downs turf mile and fifth of 11 in the $150,000 Futurity at Belmont, form that fits this spot.
Senor Friday has two wins (one via disqualification) and a second in his three turf tries, all at Turf Paradise. Typically, such races wouldn’t stack up with a race like the Mystic Lake Derby, but this isn’t a typical $200,000 race.
Thetrashmanscoming absolutely could contend. Thetrashmanscoming was a 14-race maiden entering the Prairie Meadows meet this spring, but crushed a maiden field there May 19 and returned June 7 to win the $65,000 Prairie Mile, a performance at least as good as anyone else in this field has produced. Thetrashmanscoming has been unplaced in two turf starts but appears to be an improving horse that has landed in a soft spot.
