Robertson ready for turf or dirt in Friday feature

About four inches of rain fell during two hours at Canterbury Park on Tuesday night, and while the racing surface was floated and readied for training Wednesday morning, the fate of turf racing for the next few days is uncertain, said Eric Halstrom, the track's vice president of racing operations. Grass races seem likely to be moved to dirt Thursday, and that could happen again Friday, making analysis of the featured fourth race extremely tricky.

The feature, a high-end allowance also open to $35,000 claimers, is carded for five furlongs on grass, and the nine-horse field includes three Mac Robertson-trained entrants. Canterbury’s leading trainer has the race covered on grass with El Seventy Seven, who popped back into form with an improved third at Arlington, and on dirt, perhaps, with Superstar Leo.

Superstar Leo, in from Robertson’s father Hugh’s string at Arlington, was a fine, closing second on Polytrack to a pretty good synthetic horse named Singingintheheat, and Superstar Leo has in the past proven equally adept at dirt racing.

Trainer Robertino Diodoro also has two entrants, Candy Ruby and Space Mine, both of whom are entered for the main track only and both of whom could contend. The rail-drawn Dog Soldier should appreciate cutting back from six furlongs and might not have been at his best on a sloppy track last out.