Canterbury Park's 2022 racing season will look a lot like its 2021 season, with one significant change. The Shakopee track plans to add Saturdays back to its schedule, two years after shifting its calendar to cope with the pandemic.
Canterbury has given the Minnesota Racing Commission a proposal for a 65-day season beginning May 18 and running through Sept. 17. The number of racing days and the time frame are the same as last summer, and the $225,000 in projected daily purses is also similar. The track plans to race Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 5 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m., replacing Tuesday evening racing with Saturdays.
Track officials hope the schedule will attract more fans while maintaining high levels of out-of-state wagering. With attendance sharply limited by the pandemic in 2020, Canterbury moved its races to weekday evenings, when there was less competition for out-of-state wagering dollars. The strategy boosted total handle to a Canterbury Park-record $68 million.
The track resumed Sunday afternoon racing last season, and out-of-state handle remained strong, as total handle reached $91 million.
The proposed season must be approved by the Minnesota Racing Commission, which is expected to discuss it at a December meeting.
