Robertson runners prominent in two turf stakes for Minnesota-breds
Trainer Mac Robertson generally is formidable at Canterbury Park, and he holds a particularly strong hand in both of Sunday’s 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for Minnesota-breds.
In the $60,000 Blair’s Cove for older colts and geldings, Robertson sends out the winner of the race’s 2015 edition, A P Is Loose, and a repeat looks well within range.
The 5-year-old A P Is Loose is winless in two starts this year, but those losses absolutely look like stepping-stones to this attempt to repeat in the Blair’s Cove. Robertson used a similar pattern to bring A P Is Loose up to the race a year ago.
A P Is Loose shook off rust in a six-furlong dirt comeback, then improved to finish a solid third June 12 in an open, second-level turf allowance over 7 1/2 furlongs. He has been more effective at this longer distance and should be prominently placed throughout under Geovanni Franco, who leads the Canterbury jockey colony in turf wins this meet with 10.
Bourbon County finished second in this race last year while making his turf debut and has a good chance at another high placing. It’s interesting and noteworthy that the 6-year-old Bourbon County, who shows speed in dirt sprints, settled behind a slow pace and finished going two turns on turf. The style change hints at an older horse with untapped turf talent, and he might well have regressed in his second grass start when running back just 15 days after the Blair’s Cove.
The 4-year-old Hold for More is a talented Minnesota-bred, with six wins and four seconds from his 10 starts, but he looks best suited to races around one turn and has never tried turf.
◗ There are 10 entrants in the $60,000 Princess Elaine for fillies and mares, and Robertson trains four of them, though Sioux Appeal is entered for the main track only.
Shaboom, drawn on the far outside, will command the least attention of Robertson’s other three, but she’s not without a chance. Shaboom did not run well in her only two-turn race and never has tried turf, but her pedigree hints at middle-distance turf potential.
It’s more likely, however, that Shaboom contributes to a robust pace and sets up the race for one of Robertson’s other runners, with Dear Fay rating a slight edge over Thunder and Honey. Dear Fay hasn’t raced since last fall, but Robertson does well with long-layoff comeback runners, and three poor turf runs on the East Coast to end her 2015 campaign could boost Dear Fay’s price. She made a bold move to the lead off the far turn in this race last year, only to be nailed late, and a better-timed ride could land a victory.
Thunder and Honey, fifth in the 2015 Princess Elaine, is back on turf for the first time in four starts this year and is probably best suited to grass routes.
Aaron’s Belt is the race’s defending champion but won the 2015 edition at odds of 43-1 by running the race of her life. The mare is 8 now, and while she’s likely to improve off a dull main-track 2016 comeback run last out, it’s unlikely she improves enough to repeat.