![]() Canterbury is renovating its stable area, and it needs extra construction time in the spring to complete a large new barn and a dormitory and to replacethe track's lighting system. Starting the season later also fits with that philosophy, though that move was made for a different reason. "Scheduling more races when we have more horses here, ready to run, makes sense for everyone.'' "A lot of tracks around the country are already running three days per week, so the horsemen are used to it,'' Sampson said. That will allow it to keep fields as full as possible, which attracts more wagering. Under this plan, Canterbury would return to shorter race weeks later in August as stables begin leaving for other tracks. In July and early August, when the number of horses is at its peak, Thursdays would be added to the schedule. During the first six weeks of the season, when there are fewer horses on the grounds ready to run, races would be held on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The new schedule is designed to expand and contract along with Canterbury's horse population. In addition to the potential loss of the SMSC money, Canterbury also faces increasing competition for horses, with Chicago's Hawthorne Race Course joining the list of Midwestern tracks running during the same time frame. The coming summer will bring a new set of challenges. The proposed schedule must be approved by the Minnesota Racing Commission, which will discuss it at a meeting next month.Ĭanterbury Park set a record for total handle last season, with $97.6 million bet during a 64-day season. I'm quite optimistic it will work out fine.'' "We would all like to run more days, but I think this is a great compromise. "At this point, we need to plan for how we will manage the racing season if there isn't an extension,'' Sampson said. By reducing the number of racing days, Sampson said, the track could pay average daily purses of about $200,000 - less than the $245,000 per day paid last season, but enough to remain viable. ![]() SMSC provided $7.28 million of the $15.7 million paid last season. Should the deal end, Canterbury would see a significant drop in purse funds. But the track faced a Tuesday deadline to submit 2023 racing dates to the Minnesota Racing Commission. ![]() ![]() While the track has typically run four racing days per week, it would conduct a mix of three-day and four-day weeks next year.Ĭanterbury Park CEO Randy Sampson said discussions continue with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) about an extension to the agreement, which has contributed about $70 million to Canterbury purses since 2012. The season would begin May 27, the latest start in Canterbury Park history, and end Sept. 31 - barring a last-minute extension - the Shakopee track is planning to downsize next summer's racing season.Ĭanterbury announced Thursday it is proposing 54 days of live racing in 2023, 10 fewer than last summer. With that arrangement set to expire on Dec. 4.For the past 11 years, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community has helped fund purses at Canterbury Park. 19 Canterbury Uncorked wine event, and the Minnesota Festival of Champions Sept. “Our fans really enjoy the camels and ostriches, so getting that back on the schedule was a priority as well.”Įvents that will be held as originally scheduled include the Saturday, Aug. “Adding racing days was important to the horsemen spending their summer in Minnesota,” Senior Marketing Manager John Groen said. Both events had previously been planned for Independence Day.Īlso rescheduled is Canterbury’s Cigar Smoker, now on Saturday, Aug. 5, will now feature free Hormel hot dogs and a weiner dog race. Free pony rides, face painting, and a petting zoo will also be offered. 6, features exhibition races by camels and ostriches and also includes several horse races with unusual conditions, run at distances unique to the day. 11, the final day of the 2011 meet.Įxtreme Race Day, rescheduled for Aug. Post times for the added dates are 7:00 pm on weeknights, 1:30 on Saturday, and 11:00 am on Sunday, Sept. 1 and 8 and Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Sept. ![]() The added days of racing will be: Wednesday, Aug. The revised schedule includes six added race dates, the previously canceled Extreme Race Day, a championship weiner dog race and free hotdogs. Canterbury Park officials have released a revised promotional schedule for the remainder of the live meet following a 20-day state government shutdown which cost the racetrack 12 days of live racing and its customers a number of popular events. ![]()
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