Rarick pair to employ complementary styles in Canterbury Derby
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Trainer Lynn Rarick is taking a two-pronged approach to the Canterbury Park Derby on Saturday night with stablemates Knick’s Honor and Mr Mo’s Magic.
“They both have different running styles,” she said.
Knick’s Honor should be up in the race from the start, while Mr Mo’s Magic tends to make his case in the late stages.
The horses are part of a field of seven for the Canterbury Derby, which is one of four $50,000 turf stakes at a mile on the annual Northern Stars Turf Festival card. There also is a $30,000 allowance named the Dark Star Turf Sprint.
The eight-race program that begins at 5:10 p.m. Central has brought out some of the best horses on the grounds, as well as notable shippers like Grade 3 winner Tirupati, who is cross-entered in the Anchorage on Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Knick’s Honor will start from post 4 under Eddie Gallardo.
“He likes to be part of the front,” Rarick said. “He’s got a lot of early speed. He can sit right off of it and then come running – and he can be the leader of the pack, too.”
Knick’s Honor is proven at a mile on turf at Canterbury, having won an allowance over older rivals May 24. He’s made one start since, finishing third in a one-mile turf allowance in which the winner was timed in a brisk 1:34.40.
“I thought he ran a really good race,” Rarick said. “He really tried and he was in there with older horses. I think for a 3-year-old, he showed us he’s got a lot of talent. I was pretty impressed with the way he ran.
“His Beyer Figure jumped up a little bit, so that’s why I say he keeps improving for us. We keep challenging him and he’s been handling the challenges pretty well.”
Knick’s Honor will be looking for his first stakes win, while Mr Mo’s Magic became a stakes winner on turf last out at Tampa Bay Downs.
“He won the Sophomore Stakes,” Rarick said. “He also keeps improving for us. I don’t think he’s really shown us everything he’s got yet.”
Mr Mo’s Magic has been flattered since the Sophomore, as three horses he defeated came back to win their next starts. Two won allowances at Gulfstream Park and Tampa, and the other won a maiden special weight at Gulfstream. Chicken Dance, who won the Gulfstream allowance, went on to win a stakes at that track and on Saturday is set to run in the Kent at Delaware Park.
Mr Mo’s Magic will break from post 6 on Saturday under Constantino Roman. He races for the partnership of Ray Huelsman and Keith Anderson, as does Knick’s Honor.
“We bought them both out of the OBS sale down in Florida,” said Rarick. “At first I thought Knick’s Honor was going to be a sprinter, but he’s ended up being a route horse. It’s fun to see them mature.”
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Trainer Tim Padilla will counter with Mr in Personal, who is moving back to both two turns and turf for the Canterbury Derby.
“I think he’s got a good shot in there,” Padilla said. “He’s just learning how to run. He looks like he wants to go farther. Right now, I haven’t been able to get many races going farther.”
As for the turf, Mr in Personal has made two starts on the grass, with his best effort a close second in a sprint at Canterbury in his career debut last September.
“He doesn’t mind it at all,” Padilla said of Mr in Personal’s attitude toward the turf.
Alonso Quinonez has the mount on Mr in Personal from post 2.
“He likes to come from behind,” Padilla said. “He’s a closer. He likes to sit back there – which I like – and he’ll make one run at them, I think.”
Trainer Mac Robertson will send out debut winner Ultra Extreme, who is a half-sister to Kiss the Girl, a multiple stakes winner of nearly $500,000.
Brooks Fields Mile
Sushi Man, who won last year’s Canterbury Derby and Minnesota Derby, is part of a deep field of nine older horses for the Brooks Fields Mile. The group includes last year’s horse of the meet, Frosty View, and recent allowance winner Tonka Warrior.
Sushi Man enters off a 4 1/4-length win over second-level allowance foes June 6 at Canterbury. The race, run over a mile on turf, was his first start since last October.
“I really think the time off did him some good,” trainer Coty Rosin said. “As far as mentally, I’ve seen him change. He’s much more focused, much more relaxed, matured. I’m really happy with him.”
Gallardo has the mount for One Bid Stable from post 9. Tonka Warrior won the allowance prep over Frosty View on June 7.
◗ Thunders Rocknroll is the one to catch in the Lady Canterbury for fillies and mares. She is seeking her third straight stakes win after taking the Lady Slipper at Canterbury and the Prairie Rose at Prairie Meadows.
◗ Essential Lady, a maiden winner at Santa Anita who is out of the multiple stakes winner Lady Shipman, is part of a field of seven for the Curtis Sampson Oaks.
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