Jay Lietzau's Canterbury Park line for Monday, May 29

Our handicapper makes his picks for a special Memorial Day holiday card in Shakopee.

By Star Tribune

May 28, 2023 at 9:46PM
(Elizabeth Flores, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Post time: 1 p.m. Lock of the day: Cupids Crush (6th race). Value play of the day: Bigfoot City (5th race). Big score: 50-cent Pick 5 ticket—Race 5 (1,8/4/2,4,5,6,7/1,3,5,7/3,4), $40.

1. 6½ furlongs. Fillies and mares. 3, 4 and 5-year-olds. Maiden claiming: $10,000. Purse: $10,500.

#: Horse (Jockey, Trainer) Wt./Odds

1: Dixie Girl To (Gallardo, Westermann) 124/10-1

2: Pat's Gal (Harr, Cline) 119/8-1

3: Purrfect Moon (Barajas, Silva) 119/6-1

4: Grandiose Summer (Lara, Silva Rodriguez) 124/4-1

5: Jerusalema (Berrios-Lopez, Silva Jr.) 119/2-1

6: Skedaddle's Legacy (Hernandez, Martinez) 119/5-1

7: Smart Leah (Hernandez, Woolley Jr.) 124/7-2

SMART LEAH (7) only has one start, so has some upside. Top jockey Hernandez gets in the saddle and has a nice outside post position to see how the race develops. PURRFECT MOON (3) drops to her lowest level and may have the best early speed. If she gets loose, she could get brave. SKEDADDLE'S LEGACY (6) has been facing better and her past two starts were on the turf. Give her another shot on the dirt.

2. 6 furlongs. Fillies and mares. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming: $5,000. Purse: $11,500.

#: Horse (Jockey, Trainer) Wt./Odds

1: Brahms Is Who (Ulloa, Tranquilino) 124/5-1

2: Peppermint Sister (Lara, Biehler) 119/9-2

3: Lyrical (Valenzuela, Rarick) 124/3-1

4: Atlantic Princess (Hernandez, Kenney) 124/12-1

5: Chive Up (Berrios-Lopez, Rarick) 119/9-5

6: Sailsinthesunset (Murray, Roberts) 124/6-1

7: Betty's Bar (Lopez (Martinez) 124/8-1

LYRICAL (3) ships in from Tampa Bay where she had eight starts already this year, so fitness shouldn't be an issue. Valenzuela might use her tactical speed to his advantage. BRAHMS IS WHO (1) has three wins at Canterbury, including two last summer. Will be closing late. CHIVE UP (5) has won two of her last three at Fonner but Nebraska form doesn't always travel.

3. 1 mile on turf. State bred. Open. 3, 4 and 5-year-olds. Maiden special weight. Purse: $31,000.

#: Horse (Jockey, Trainer) Wt./Odds

1: Kal El (Wade, Bethke) 124/5-1

2: Angel of Attack (Hernandez, Berndt) 119/9-2

3: Tripp Wildcat (Harr, Rarick) 119/10-1

4: Back to Selling (Roman, Berndt) 124/2-1

5: Smart Oxie (Quinonez, Deshazo) 124/8-1

6: Mr Insensitive (Barajas, Silva) 119/15-1

7: Found Jordan (Valenzuela, Peters) 124/20-1

8: Somersetslastride (Murray, Rengstorf) 124/7-2

9: Red's Mr Z (Glass, Rarick) 114/10-1

BACK TO SELLING (4) had some competitive grass races here last year. Berndt gave him a prep race at Hawthorne in April to stretch his legs. Expecting a much better performance today. ANGEL OF ATTACK (2) comes from the same barn as the top pick. Has four siblings that have won on the turf so the genetics say yes. KAL EL (1) had an impressive turf start last summer. Will attempt to use the inside post to save ground and wear them down late.

4. 5½ furlongs. State bred. Fillies and mares. 3, 4 and 5-year-olds. Maiden claiming: $15,000. Purse: $10,500.

#: Horse (Jockey, Trainer) Wt./Odds

1: Edison's Terror (Ulloa, Berndt) 119/5-1

2: O. D.'s Ann Baby (Gallardo, Robertson) 124/10-1

3: Gloriously Wicked (Wade, Bethke) 119/6-1

4: Spoiled Brat (Barajas, Silva) 119/7-2

5: Bailout Kela (Quinonez, Padilla) 124/2-1

6: Tatum's Journey (Hernandez, Robertson) 119/9-2

7: Bellefire (Murray, Tracy) 124/12-1

8: Karats Kount (Harr, Smith) 119/15-1

TATUM'S JOURNEY (6) makes her second career start and first as a three-year-old. Switches to Hernandez, drops in class and gets Lasix for the first time. SPOILED BRAT (4) made her debut at the Fair Grounds against open company. Gets off the rail today and drops in class. EDISON'S TERROR (1) had a sibling win first out and Berndt wins with 17% of his first-time starters.

5. 11⁄16 miles on turf. Open. 3-year-olds and up. Starter optional claiming: $8,000. Purse: $15,000.

#: Horse (Jockey, Trainer) Wt./Odds

1: Bigfoot City (Lopez, Silva Jr.) 122/3-1

2: Make Noise (Harr (Cline) 122/8-1

3: Of Good Report (Hernandez, Woolley Jr.) 122/6-1

4: Twoko Bay (Wade, Scherer) 122/5-2

5: Surprsinglyperfect (Quinonez, Silva Jr.) 122/5-1

6: Last Martini (Berrios-Lopez, Rosin) 117/12-1

7: Aries Reigns (Valenzuela, Rarick) 122/15-1

8: War Chest (Barajas, Silva) 122/4-1

BIGFOOT CITY (1) will attempt to steal this race wire-to-wire. Has potent early speed and finally gets a good post after being outside in his last three starts. WAR CHEST (8) won three straight here last summer but is winless since July 16th. Third start off the layoff should have him ready to go. TWOKO BAY (4) has four wins at Canterbury and if he gets a hot pace in front of him, he'll be flying late.

6. 6 furlongs. Fillies and mares. 4-year-olds and up. Allowance. Purse: $28,000.

#: Horse (Jockey, Trainer) Wt./Odds

1: Kira Fever (Hernandez, Kenney) 124/7-2

2: Gypsy Reward (Wade, Robertson) 124/9-2

3: Savona (Valenzuela, Kenney) 124/10-1

4: Cupids Crush (Gallardo, Robertson) 119/9-5

5: Lover Girl (Lopez, Williams) 119/5-2

6: Unrivaled Queen (Berrios-Lopez, Lund) 114/8-1

CUPIDS CRUSH (4) had a really nice victory at Oaklawn Park last time seen. She pressed a hot pace early in that start and was still able to pull away late. Expecting another big effort. LOVER GIRL (5) beat the top pick in her final start of her two-year-old campaign. May need a race before we see her best. SAVONA (3) has good early speed but can she keep up with the top pick.

7. 1 mile on turf. Fillies and mares. 3-year-olds and up. Allowance optional claiming: $35,000. Purse: $29,500.

#: Horse (Jockey, Trainer) Wt./Odds

1: La Castiglione (Lopez, Gutierrez) 122/12-1

2: Medalla Match (Wade, Biehler) 122/3-1

3: Bow Bow Girl (Lara, Richard) 122/12-1

4: Midnight Current (Hernandez, Berndt) 122/8-5

5: Scent of Success (Gallardo, Robertson) 122/5-1

6: Let's Skedaddle (Bridgmohan, Berndt) 122/4-1

7: Latin Nikkita (Quinonez, Sweere) 122/8-1

MIDNIGHT CURRENT (4) is the reigning Canterbury Park Horse of the Year after reeling off five consecutive victories. Should get a good pace setup for his running style. LATIN NIKKITA (7) raced well here last summer winning two of four. Had a prep race at Tampa Bay at the beginning of the month so should be fit. SCENT OF SUCCESS (5) didn't do much wrong here last summer and historically races well off a layoff.

8. 1 mile. Open. 3-year-olds and up. Allowance. Purse: $28,000.

#: Horse (Jockey, Trainer) Wt./Odds

1: Words of Wisdom (Lara, Diodoro) 124/7-2

2: Out Run'm (Roman, Espinoza) 124/6-1

3: Thought (Lopez, Diodoro) 124/9-2

4: Ghost Stalker (Quinonez, Padilla) 124/10-1

5: Cousvinnysacanuck (Hernandez, Berndt) 124/3-1

6: Mendelssohn Joy (Valenzuela, Litfin) 119/15-1

7: Unified Dreams (Wade, Scherer) 124/5-1

8: Fury Kap (Berrios-Lopez, Silva Jr.) 119/6-1

COUSVINNYSACANUCK (5) comes off the bench and returns to the dirt after a failed turf experiment in his final start last year. Berndt wins with 30% of his runners off a long layoff. WORDS OF WISDOM (1) is making his first start for Diodoro since being claimed. Had back-to-back wins at Oaklawn before shipping north but faces tougher here. UNIFIED DREAMS (7) had two nice victories at the Fair Grounds this winter/spring and will attempt to stalk the speed and pounce late.

9. 7½ furlongs on turf. Open. 3-year-olds and up. Allowance optional claiming: $16,000. Purse: $28,000.

#: Horse (Jockey, Trainer) Wt./Odds

1: Line to Gain (Hernandez, Litfin) 117/10-1

2: Coastal Waters (Lopez, Lund) 122/6-1

3: Whiskey Plank (Bridgmohan, Rengstorf) 122/3-1

4: Modern Science (Wade, Berndt) 122/4-1

5: Xtreme Mayhem (Hernandez, Martinez) 122/10-1

6: Coffee Caliente (Quinonez, Rosin) 117/8-1

7: Board Certified (Santos, Rhone) 122/8-1

8: Bold Voyager (Valenzuela, Martinez) 124/5-1

9: Mister Muldoon (Gallardo, Robertson) 117/8-1

10: Joker Matt (Berrios-Lopez, Silva Jr.) 117/8-1

11: Dillon Rocks (Lopez, Gutierrez) 122/15-1

12: Overly Lucky (Hernandez, Donlin) 122/4-1

13: Bandit Point (Harr, Cline) 122/6-1

14: Stagecoach Boys (Roman, Berndt) 122/9-2

MODERN SCIENCE (4) hasn't shown much lately but has been facing much tougher at Gulfstream Park and Churchill Downs. Making his first start for Berndt who wins 35% with newcomers. WHISKEY PLANK (3) had a nice summer locally last year hitting the board in all six starts including two wins. Was reclaimed in March after losing him the race before. BOLD VOYAGER (8) has won half of his six grass starts including the past two, so coming into this race in good form.

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