Robertson loaded for Blair's Cove

Teddy Time and A P Is Loose were first and second in the 2017 Blair’s Cove Stakes and there’s at least a fair chance they could replicate that finish in the 2018 edition of the race Tuesday at Canterbury Park.

One would feel better about the possibility if the guy who trains both horses, Mac Robertson, were rolling along like he usually does at Canterbury. Robertson won nine straight Canterbury training titles between 2005 and 2013, gave way in 2014 and 2015 when he had a sizeable presence at Delaware Park, but back in full force at Canterbury he was leading trainer in 2016 with 71 wins and in 2017 with 69.

Through June 29 during the 2017 meeting, Robertson had 24 winners from 93 starters, but during the same period this year he is just 10 for 66. Part of that is the luck factor, since 31 of his starters have finished second or third, but the stable has been slow to come around.

So has A P Is Loose, the 7-year-old Joel Zamzow homebred gelding who won the Blair’s Cove in 2015 and 2016 before placing last year. A P Is Loose has generally raced his way to top fitness at Canterbury after getting the winter off and this year was no exception as he finished a distant sixth sprinting in the 10,000 Lakes Stakes on May 19 before improving to third in a two-turn open allowance race on June 16.

:: Get PPs and analysis for Tuesday's $40,000-guaranteed pick four at Canterbury Park

A P Is Loose probably will run better Tuesday but Teddy Time still is the pick to win the Blair’s Cove, a 1 1/16-mile grass race. Teddy Time is two years younger than A P Is Loose and ran well enough finishing third in his lone start this meet, a turf stakes rained onto dirt, to suggest he can come right back to the form that won him this race a year ago.

Robertson’s third runner is Hotshot Kid, who is no slouch himself, but probably prefers dirt to turf. He pressed the pace and faded to fifth last year in the Mystic Lake Derby, his lone previous grass race, and figures to go to the front from post 1 Tuesday.

Double-shot for Princess Elaine

Robertson has two more for the $50,000 Princess Elaine, the female-restricted partner race to the Blair’s Cove, and both Honey’s Sox Appeal and First Hunter have a reasonable chance. They finished second and third in the race’s 2017 edition behind Some Say So, who is back in Tuesday’s race after a solid recent Canterbury turf allowance win.

But the pick here is Double Bee Sting, who, with Pinup Girl, sits right at the head of her Minnesota-bred class. Double Bee Sting ran dreadfully in her first start this meet but showed massive improvement last out and displayed an affinity for grass in her lone start on it last season at Canterbury.