One more – this year – for Mr. Jagermeister

Minnesota-bred 3-year-old Mr. Jagermeister is looking more and more like a serious racehorse. But trainer Valorie Lund remains serious in her commitment to staying conservative with Mr. Jagermeister this year in the hope of having an even better horse next year.

Granted he was beating up on overmatched competition, but Mr. Jagermeister won the $100,000 Minnesota-bred Minnesota Derby by 10 lengths on Saturday at Canterbury Park. His winning time of 1:40.37 for one mile and 70 yards on a fast track produced a Beyer Speed Figure of 99. That’s a career-best for Mr. Jagermeister and, beyond a couple outlier figures from Justify and Bolt d’Oro, ranks among the best two-turn dirt Beyers for 3-year-olds of 2018.

Jockey Leandro Goncalves kept Mr. Jagermeister wide throughout the trip to avoid being challenged on the outside by a pace rival. That’s what happened in the Mystic Lake Derby, Mr. Jagermeister’s only previous two-turn try, where he dueled and faded to fifth on turf.

“It wasn’t the turf so much as there was a horse outside pressuring him and the jock got very aggressive shouting and so on,” said Lund. “He wouldn’t relax – you can’t go two turns if you don’t relax.”

Mr. Jagermeister has won all five of his statebred-restricted races by vast margins and is 6-3-0 from 11 career starts. Always fast, Mr. Jagermeister wasn’t quick to mature, and even a couple months ago still looked like a weedy colt through his neck and hindquarters. That has changed. Mr. Jagermeister is filling into his frame, growing up.

“The last 60 days the horse has just made remarkable transformation physically,” Lund said. “He’s not taller, but he’s wider. And he’s just so much more focused in his races, not acting like a colt. It’s just maturity.”

Mr. Jagermeister raced for the first time this year in February and already has made seven starts in 2018. Lund plans to run him Sept. 2 against Minnesota-breds in the $75,000 Minnesota Classic, another two-turn race. And that will be it for this year. No shipping, no stress – not this year.

“That will be eight races, and that’s enough for this year. We’re going to kick him out for the winter and bring him back. I always thought he was going to be better as a 4-year-old,” Lund said.

Even at 3, Mr. Jagermeister is turning out to be pretty good.