Street Warrior notches Minnesota Derby; Retired Kathy wins Minnesota Oaks

Street Warrior improved his record to 3 for 3 when he pulled away by 7 3/4 lengths in the $75,000 Minnesota Derby on Saturday night at Canterbury Park.

The race shared a card with the $75,000 Minnesota Oaks won by Retired Kathy ($26.20).

Street Warrior ($2.40) was the 1-5 favorite on the strength of his record, as he had won his first two races by a combined margin of 23 1/4 lengths. He was making his two-turn debut on Saturday and moved to the lead soon after the start, setting fractions of 24.55 seconds for the opening quarter, 48.66 for the half-mile and 1:14.03 for six furlongs. In the stretch he began to open up on his rivals and went on to cover the one mile and 70 yards on a fast track in 1:44.97.

Eduardo Gallardo was aboard the winner for trainer Joel Berndt.

Street Warrior is a son of Barbados who races for his breeder, Suzanne Stables.

:: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets.

Street Warrior debuted June 15 at Canterbury and splashed home in the slop by more than 14 lengths in a maiden special weight at six furlongs. He then romped by nine lengths in an overnight handicap at the same distance on July 13. For both performances, Street Warrior has earned Beyer Speed Figures of 84.

Superstar Swank was second in the Minnesota Derby, while it was another three-quarters of a length back in third to Berndt-trained Victorious Vanda.

Street Warrior has now won his first three starts by a combined margin of 31 lengths. He has earned $93,300.

Retired Kathy trailed in the early stages of the Minnesota Oaks, behind contested fractions of 24.54 seconds for the opening quarter and 49.22 for the half-mile. She advanced on the final turn, raced with 1-5 favorite Xtreme Diva into the stretch, and after a brief battle went on to cover one mile and 70 yards in 1:45.14.

Chad Lindsay was aboard for David Van Winkle.

Peter Mattson owns Retired Kathy, who is a daughter of Firing Line. She was winning her first stakes in the Minnesota Oaks. Overall, Retired Kathy has won 4 of 12 starts and earned $125,160.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.