Jay Lietzau’s Canterbury Park line for Sunday, July 28

The Star Tribune handicapper makes his picks for the final Sunday race card in July.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
July 28, 2024 at 4:02AM
(Ayrton Breckenridge/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Post time: 1 p.m. Lock of the day: Driskill (3rd race). Value play of the day: Kool Karma (7th race). Big score: 50-cent Pick 5 ticket—Race 1 (4,6,7/5,7/2/2,3,6,7/1,4,6,7,8), $60.

1. 5½ furlongs. Open. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming: $5,000. Purse: $13,000.

#: Horse, Jockey, Trainer Wt./Odds

1: Ferrari Road (Arroyo, Muckey) 122/15-1

2: Reup (Harr, Cline) 122/10-1

3: Schmooze (Gallardo, Bethke) 122/8-1

4: Coastal Fog (Da Silva, Silva Jr.) 122/8-1

5: Forsaken (Roman, Espinoza) 122/7-2

6: Majestic Craken (Carmona, Silva) 112/5-1

7: Hidden Profit (Fuentes, Williams) 119/2-1

8: Awesome Family (Rodriguez, Riecken) 122/9-2

MAJESTIC CRACKEN (6) won two back against better with a stalk-and-pounce strategy while recording a career high speed figure. Will try similar tactics with an abundance of speed types here. HIDDEN PROFIT (7) lost to the top pick two back but then returned to win wire-to-wire by 10 lengths. Might have company up front. COASTAL FOG (4) drops in class and has speed. A dangerous combination.

2. 1 mile on turf. Open. 3-year-olds and up. Allowance. Purse: $30,000.

#: Horse, Jockey, Trainer Wt./Odds

1: War Rascal (Fuentes, Garrett) 124/3-1

2: It’s Bobs Business (Gallardo, Berndt) 124/8-1

3: Outlaw Run (Harr, Cline) 124/6-1

4: Superstar Swank (Carmona, Robertson) 119/6-1

5: Mendelssohn Joy (Da Silva, Robertson) 124/9-2

6: Toomanynames (Roman, Rushton) 119/5-1

7: Found Jordan (Bridgmohan, Peters) 124/10-1

8: Frosty View (Valenzuela, Berndt) 119/10-1

9: Cross the Causeway (Carmona, Robertson) 119/9-2

10: Haunted Haze (Quinonez, Martinez) 124/8-1

MENDELSSOHN JOY (5) hasn’t been seen in 11 months but the Robertson barn always has them well prepared. There appears to be plenty of speed entered which should set up his closing kick. FOUND JORDAN (7) has won back-to-back including one at this distance. Bridgmohan, an excellent grass rider, climbs aboard. IT’S BOBS BUSINESS (2) led until the final stages on the turf last out before tiring late.

3. 5½ furlongs. Open. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming: $4,000. Purse: $12,000.

#: Horse, Jockey, Trainer Wt./Odds

1: Goose Drank Wine (Valenzuela, Rushton) 124/10-1

2: Driskill (Da Silva, Silva Jr.) 124/2-1

3: Cannonball Comin (Rodriguez, Silva Jr.) 124/8-1

4: Bumper Pool (Gallardo, Bethke) 124/9-2

5: Head for Business (Pena, Woolley Jr.) 124/5-1

6: Masterpiece Day (Carmona, Muckey) 119/8-1

7: Direct Action (Barajas, Silva) 124/15-1

8: Astronaut Oscar (Roman, Padilla) 124/7-2

DRISKILL (2) will try to shake loose early with his exceptional speed and attempt to control the early pace. If Da Silva is successful, he should be able to conserve some energy for the stretch. ASTRONAUT OSCAR (8) has been backing up in the lane in his three local starts this summer. Maybe the addition of blinkers will add focus. BUMPER POOL (4) has been facing cheaper but might be the only horse closing late.

4. 1 mile on turf. Open. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming: $7,500. Purse: $14,000.

#: Horse, Jockey, Trainer Wt./Odds

1: Sarge’s Sermon (Da Silva, Biehler) 124/12-1

2: Meet Joe (Ceballos, Kenney) 124/10-1

3: Thick Haze (Fuentes, Roberts) 124/5-2

4: California Swing (Pena, Woolley Jr.) 124/8-1

5: O Dogg (Bridgmohan, Riecken) 124/15-1

6: War Chest (Valenzuela, Rengstorf) 124/5-1

7: Johnny Dar (Gallardo, Silva Jr.) 124/7-2

8: Kid’s Inheritance (Rodriguez, Silva Jr.) 124/9-2

9: Swampdrainer (Lindsay, Silva) 124/10-1

10: Cibertruck (Rodriguez, Danger) 124/8-1

THICK HAZE (3) loves the Shakopee sod, capturing victories in seven of 15 career starts. Won his last be an easy three lengths, drops in class and switches to the top jockey. MEET JOE (2) is well-bred for the surface but has yet to earn a grass win. Caught a good turf two back so maybe firm footing will be to his liking. JOHNNY DAR (7) went wire-to-wire in last from the inside post. Might be difficult to replicate from the outside.

5. 1 mile. Open. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming: $4,000. Purse: $12,000.

#: Horse, Jockey, Trainer Wt./Odds

1: Passthecat (Valenzuela, Hanson) 124/4-1

2: Calzone (Ceballos, Rarick) 124/10-1

3: Pervasive (Arroyo, Muckey) 124/12-1

4: I Will Stand (Da Silva, Litfin) 124/6-1

5: Emergency Response (Pena, Roberts) 124/15-1

6: Devil Vision (Gallardo, Robertson) 124/3-1

7: Super Wise (Carmona, Scherer) 119/5-1

8: Tiger Hunter (Rodriguez, Woolley Jr.) 124/9-2

9: Just Ask Joel (Roman, Sheehan) 124/20-1

10: Redisur (Harr, Rarick) 124/12-1

TIGER HUNTER (8) broke uncharacteristically slowly in last but still managed to get involved late. If he breaks sharply and gets involved early, he should get an easier trip in this one. I WILL STAND (4) ships in from Indiana and switches barns. Has good early speed but must question an Indiana-bred shipping north. PASSTHECAT (1) is in great form right now but will need a hot pace to set up his closing kick.

6. 1 mile on turf. Open. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming: $7,500. Purse: $14,000.

#: Horse, Jockey, Trainer Wt./Odds

1: Rosenquist (Rodriguez, Silva Jr.) 124/12-1

2: Vitale (Lindsay, Ramaekers) 124/5-1

3: Runaway Ready (Carmona, Robertson) 119/8-1

4: Total Surprise (Fuentes, Williams) 124/9-2

5: Shut Up Michael (Roman, Rarick) 124/3-1

6: Coastal Waters (Da Silva, Silva Jr.) 124/4-1

7: Out Run’m (Quinonez, Espinoza) 124/12-1

8: Zumurudee (Pena, Woolley Jr.) 124/10-1

9: Mark in Greeley (Harr, Rengstorf) 124/6-1

10: Glendale (Rodriguez, Roberts) 124/8-1

11: Catholic Guilt (Valenzuela, Roberts) 124/5-2

VITALE (2) drops in class and might try to steal it on the front end. Expect Lindsay to be aggressive early from the inside post position. ZUMURUDEE (8) probably needed his last race after a 60-day layoff. Had good success on the local lawn last summer and should improve greatly with that prep race under his belt. TOTAL SURPRISE (4) has yet to win on the turf but this jockey/trainer combo is hitting at 35% locally.

7. 7½ furlongs on turf. Fillies and mares. 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds. Maiden claiming: $15,000. Purse: $12,500.

#: Horse, Jockey, Trainer Wt./Odds

1: Red Sunshine (Pena, Westermann) 124/12-1

2: Dropped Cold (Harr, Rhone) 124/6-1

3: Princess Vanellope (Lindsay, Ramaekers) 119/10-1

4: Carbonel (Carmona, Rushton) 119/8-1

5: Too Hot to Stop (Ceballos, Rarick) 119/4-1

6: Raetastic (Fuentes, Rosin) 119/9-5

7: Kool Karma (Gallardo, Berndt) 119/7-2

8: Wicked Hope (Arroyo, Hanson) 119/12-1

KOOL KARMA (7) drops from special weights to claiming and tries turf for the first time. The Berndt barn excels with this type and her breeding suggests she’ll like the new surface. RAETASTIC (6) just missed in last at this level as the favorite in last. Third off the layoff for a high-percentage barn make her the one to beat. TOO HOT TO STOP (5) led until late in her first turf try. Might improve second time on the surface.

8. 6 furlongs. Open. 3-year-olds and up. Allowance optional claiming: $12,500. Purse: $30,000.

#: Horse, Jockey, Trainer Wt./Odds

1: Reef’s Destiny (Lindsay, Cline) 122/12-1

2: Hightail Cowboy (Ceballos, Geditz Jr.) 124/4-1

3: Boat Song (Carmona, Robertson) 117/9-2

4: Silver Dash (Da Silva, Martinez) 122/6-1

5: Tenth Street Don (Fuentes, Lund) 122/10-1

6: Deflater (Harr, Cline) 122/5-1

7: Tactical Attack (Gallardo, Silva Jr.) 122/6-1

8: Sea to Success (Valenzuela, Martinez) 122/5-2

TACTICAL ATTACK (7) was claimed by a good claiming barn out of his last race. Has early speed and has been facing some good ones this summer. Gallardo retaining the mount is a positive. BOAT SONG (3) faced some tough foes last winter/spring at Oaklawn but didn’t show much in his only local start this year. Maybe the layoff was beneficial. HIGHTAIL COWBOY (2) is third off the layoff and is 1-for-1 for the new barn.

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