Our Lucky Son makes stakes debut in HBPA Sprint

SHAKOPEE, Minn. – Canterbury Park opens its last weekend of racing of the 2014 season with the $40,000 HBPA Sprint Stakes on Friday night. The HBPA Sprint is a six-furlong dash over the main track open to all horses who have never won a stakes.

Castletown, Deadly Black Eagle, and Janis’s Joy all have finished second in stakes, but it could be a horse trying a stakes for the first time who is the most formidable: the late-blooming 5-year-old Our Lucky Son.

KEY CONTENDERS

Our Lucky Son (Last 3 Beyers: 101-101-72)

* Stepped up big since coming to Minnesota from California for trainer Wade Rarick, with two coasting wins (maiden special weight and allowance) to earn the only triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures in the field.

* In a race full of early speed on a racetrack that has been favoring the front end in sprints, Our Lucky Son’s stalking style may be perfect.

* Rarick, looking for his first stakes win of the meet, is 6 for 18 (33 percent) with horses who have won their last start.

Castletown (Last 3 Beyers: 84-99-64)

* Had two solid works prepping for this race, earning a bullet for a 1:00.20 effort Aug. 26.

* Has had only one bad effort since coming to Canterbury – in the 6 1/2-furlong Dark Star Stakes, in which he tired in the last furlong.

* Over the last five years, trainer Robertino Diodoro is firing at 21 percent in stakes and at 23 percent at Canterbury with Jorge Carreno aboard. Carreno takes over for the injured Scott Stevens.

Janis’s Joy (Last 3 Beyers: 88-89-85)

* A hard-closing second in the Hoist Her Flag Stakes last time out, this mare is facing boys for the second time. Her first effort resulted in a second in a $25,000 optional claimer during opening weekend at Canterbury.

* Dean Butler, in a close race to repeat as leading jockey, has teamed with trainer Eric Heitzmann only eight times this season but has won three and placed twice.

* Has won a race over every surface and hit the exacta in 4 of 6 starts on dirt.