Dogs — from bulldogs to corgis — race the track at Canterbury Park

What's the trick to getting a dog to the finish line — despite hundreds of screaming fans and other four-legged contestants, some of which want to play more than race?

Some owners hope that their pups make their way down the track at Canterbury Park without a hitch. Others try using treats as bribes. But on a recent Saturday afternoon in Shakopee, all Frank the Tank needed was to see his mom, Tricia Olson, at the end of the track.

This wasn't the beloved English bulldog's first time racing. The 2-foot-tall, 78-pound, wrinkly-faced pup won Canterbury's bulldog races in 2017 and 2019.

Dog races have become a crowd favorite since they started at the track about 20 years ago. In fact, fans are so enthusiastic that the canines can seem to draw more cheers than the horses. The too-cute races began after a customer suggested that Canterbury should run bulldog races as a spin-off of the "running of the bulls" tradition in Spain, said Jeff Maday, media relations manager.

"Since I had just been to Pamplona, I was easily convinced, so I passed the idea to our marketing manager and she made bulldog races happen," Maday said.

More than 15,000 people — twice as many as expected — showed up to cheer on the first corgi race.

"People by the hundreds and eventually thousands arrived early," he said. "It was so crowded, literally people stood shoulder to shoulder on the second floor, and every vendor completely sold out of product."

Since then, the track has added more breeds, Maday said. The key is making sure the dogs are a bit "odd," like corgis, with their cute little legs, basset hounds with their droopy ears, wiener dogs with their long, low bodies and bulldogs ... well, who couldn't love the drool rolling down their pushed-in faces?

The fun continues this summer, with dog races on June 25, July 30 and Aug. 13, and a "Best in Show" Dog Days Championship on Sept. 3. For more information, go to www.canterburypark.com/cbp_promotions/dog-race-days/.

A day at the races

For Olson, the annual bulldog race has become a tradition, attended by close friends and relatives wearing neon-colored shirts bearing Frank's name. A perennial favorite, hordes of people cheer when his name is announced and he waddles onto the track.

Olson started racing Frank in 2016, when she saw a post about it on Facebook.

"We were surprised when he won because he didn't do well in his first heat," she said. "He won [the next heat] and then the next year he had the fastest bulldog qualifying time."

This year, Frank was one of 71 bulldogs registered to race one of six heats, five for English bulldogs and one for French bulldogs. The top two finishers of each race advance to the championship.

Olson and the other owners take their places at the finish line, most equipped with treats, squeak toys, bowls of water and a baby pool filled with water in case the dogs need to cool off.

This year, Maggie Mae — a bluish-gray English bulldog — placed second in her heat, beating Frank. Olson said that Frank, now 8 years old, is retired following the race.

Maggie Mae's mom, Christina Alm, was thrilled that her girl qualified for the big race in September. Alm said Maggie Mae, who was urged on by her favorite squeaking purple pig, trained year-round with her sister, a lab, to keep in racing shape.

Even if she hadn't won, Alm would have considered the day a success. "It's such a fun event," she said.

Milton, a big white English bulldog, clearly wanted to play with his newfound friends rather than run. He had to be escorted to the finish line by his papa, Boonsiew Yeoh, who considered the race — Milton's first — a learning experience for the 5-year-old dog.

The loss didn't dim Milton's mom's embrace of the day.

"I can't get over how many cute bulldogs there are here today," said owner Pui Hong Ang. "There are just so many!"