Jay Lietzau's Canterbury Park line for Sunday, September 3

Our handicapper makes his picks for Sunday's card.

By Star Tribune

September 3, 2023 at 3:34AM
(Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Post time: 1 p.m. Lock of the day: Eye on Ry (2nd race). Value play of the day: Amaretto Di Amore (7th race). Big score: 50-cent Pick 5 ticket— Race 5 (2,4,8/1,3,4,6/1,2,3,4/3/2,4), $48.

1. 6 furlongs. State bred. Open. 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds. Maiden special weight. Purse: $31,000.

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

1: Sweet Analyzer (Wade, Riecken) 123/9-2

2: Wynn Trip (Hernandez, Robertson) 119/5-2

3: Imagine Draygon (Harr, Backhaus) 119/15-1

4: Haunted Haze (Santos, Berndt) 119/9-2

5: Ber Cher (Hernandez, Rhone) 119/6-1

6: B L's Concerto (Quinonez, Donlin) 119/8-1

7: Dominus Tecum (Gallardo, Robertson) 123/3-1

8: Prestigiously Wild (Sosa, Backhaus) 114/15-1

HAUNTED HAZE (4) debuts for top connections and has a plethora of solid works including a bullet on Aug. 25. Barn is known for having first-time-starters well prepared. WYNN TRIP (2) is conditioned by Hall of Famer, Robertson, and flashed speed in three-year-old debut before tiring. Might have needed that start after the long layoff. DOMINUS TECUM (7) is the other Robertson and the barn wins at 26% with newbies.

2. 1 mile. State bred. Open. 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds. Maiden special weight. Purse: $31,000.

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

1: Steph's Top Nick (Hernandez, Robertson) 116/7-2

2: Sweet Bodemeister (Berrios-Lopez, Kenney) 114/12-1

3: Ll's Classy Dude (Carmona, McKinley) 118/10-1

4: Found Jordan (Ulloa, Peters) 123/9-5

5: Eye On Ry (Gallardo, Berndt) 119/2-1

6: Whodoesitbetter (Wade, Riecken) 123/5-1

EYE ON RY (5) makes his third career start and first on Lasix. Debut was impressive but regressed in second start. Should appreciate the new surface and the move to two turns for top barn. FOUND JORDAN (4) has been close in last two coming from way back. Would benefit from a quick early pace to accentuate his late kick. STEPH'S TOP NICK (1) is bred to like grass and should improve in second start.

3. 6 furlongs. State bred. Open. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming: $7,500. Purse: $10,500.

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

1: J J's Wildcat (Sosa, McKinley) 118/10-1

2: Scatamaran (Hernandez, Richard) 119/4-1

3: Wild Time (Gallardo, Robertson) 119/2-1

4: Silent Sailor (Santos, Biehler) 123/3-1

5: Going At It (Roman, Berndt) 119/5-2

6: Stun Gun (Carmona, Miller) 118/12-1

SCATAMARAN (2) returns to his preferred surface after a turf try in last. Has effective early speed and Hernandez, who has been the pilot on this gelding's two best races, climbs back aboard. WILD TIME (3) was bothered by a riderless horse last time out and still managed second. A clean trip puts him in the mix. GOING AT IT (5) cuts back in distance after graduating in last while routing. Not sure sprinting is his best game.

4. 1 mile on turf. Fillies and mares. 3-year-olds and up. Allowance optional claiming: $16,000. Purse: $28,000.

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

1: Desert Glow (Murray, Rengstorf) 121/12-1

2: Dear Beau (Hernandez, Roberts) 121/5-1

3: Start Singing (Santos, Rengstorf) 121/4-1

4: Golden Gopher (Bridgmohan, Silva) 123/6-1

5: Fall Moon (Quinonez, Padilla) 121/10-1

6: Gypsy Wife (Wade, Eikleberry) 121/5-2

7: Gypsy Reward (Gallardo, Robertson) 121/9-2

8: Chica Boom (Roman, Rhone) 121/12-1

9: Royals' Lil Diva (Hernandez, Silva) 121/15-1

ROYALS' LIL DIVA (9) has regained her form since stepping on the turf, winning two of four. Broke slowly in last and still won easily. Needs to break alertly and move ahead to win against better. GYPSY WIFE (6) has been facing tougher on the grass and been competitive. The dirt experiment in Iowa in last was a disaster but returns to preferred surface. START SINGING (3) exits stakes races and is bred for the lawn.

5. 5½ furlongs. Open. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming: $5,000. Purse: $11,000.

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

1: Botany (Quinonez, Biehler) 121/12-1

2: Johnny Up (Gallardo, Robertson) 123/3-1

3: Shut Up Michael (Berrios-Lopez, Rarick) 116/8-1

4: Runtoday (Hernandez, Richard) 117/2-1

5: Smooth Scat (Hernandez, Rosin) 117/6-1

6: Language Barrier (Harr, Peters) 121/10-1

7: New Dice (Wade, McDaniel) 121/9-2

8: Prize Fighter (Lindsay, Van Winkle) 121/10-1

RUNTODAY (4) appears to be rounding into form after a tough stat to the year. Ran a career best speed figure in last, has a win at the track and has tactical speed to be involved early. JOHNNY UP (2) is 2-for-2 this season winning both easily and curiously, drops in price. Hard to argue with top barn. PRIZE FIGHTER (8) drops dramatically down the class ladder but speed figures are somewhat light.

6. 1 mile on turf. Open. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming: $10,000. Purse: $12,000.

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

1: Kurt's Choice (Gallardo, Berndt) 119/3-1

2: Forty Strangers (Wade, Williams) 123/8-1

3: Smart Oxie (Quinonez, Livingston) 123/5-1

4: My Calante (Berrios-Lopez, Roberts) 114/5-2

5: Swampdrainer (Bridgmohan, Spencer) 123/6-1

6: Little Red Rifle (Hernandez, Woolley Jr.) 123/9-2

7: Halo's Laddie (Lindsay, Sheehan) 123/15-1

8: Scaryatcanterbury (Barajas, Silva) 123/12-1

MY CALANTE (4) has hit the board in four of six on the green breaking his maiden on the surface two back. Closed well into a slow pace just missing in last but should get an honest pace in this one. SMART OXIE (3) faces open company for the first time but his speed figures fit with these. Quinonez staying aboard is a positive sign. KURT'S CHOICE (1) has speed, gets the rail and adds blinkers. Might try to wire the field.

7. 6 furlongs. Fillies and mares. 3-year-olds and up. Allowance. Purse: $28,000.

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

1: Sweet Curalina (Roman, Rengstorf) 123/4-1

2: Checkcashingconnie (Gallardo, Robertson) 119/5-1

3: Amaretto Di Amore (Wade, Lund) 123/6-1

4: Honey Bella (Hernandez, Robertson) 123/8-5

5: Lover Girl (Quinonez, Williams) 119/2-1

AMARETTO DI AMORE (3) should be fit after three starts this meet. Displayed some speed on the turf in last and was on the rail in previous two dirt tries. Moves a little outside and her speed is dangerous. HONEY BELLA (4) hasn't won in over a year but comes from great connections and has been close in many recently. SWEET CURALINA (1) broke her maiden in last by eight lengths but that was in the mud. Can she duplicate on a fast track?

8. 7½ furlongs on turf. Open. 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds. Maiden claiming: $10,000. Purse: $10,500.

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

1: Mr Insensitive (Barajas, Silva) 119/3-1

2: Lucky's Lane (Berrios-Lopez, Berndt) 114/6-1

3: Rail Town (Wade, Ashford Jr.) 119/2-1

4: Three Rough Shods (Gallardo, Robertson) 119/9-2

5: Frosted Temptation (Hernandez, Robertson) 119/5-1

6: Burn Boss (Sosa, Bedford) 118/12-1

7: Score McCoy (Lindsay, Sheehan) 119/8-1

RAIL TOWN (3) is third off the layoff and drops from special weights to claiming. Lost all chance in last when breaking slowly from an outside post. Better post and tactical speed make him tough. FROSTED TEMPTATION (5) attempts the lawn for the first time but tried to get on the sod twice this summer in Chicago. May improve on the new surface. THREE ROUGH SHODS (4) has been in the mix in last two but has a tendency to hang.

9. 11⁄16 miles on turf. Open. 3-year-olds and up. Starter optional claiming: $5,000. Purse: $15,000.

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

1: War Chest (Hernandez, Rengstorf) 121/5-2

2: Cashanova (Berrios-Lopez, Asprino) 118/2-1

3: Chocolateicecream (Bridgmohan, Rarick) 121/7-2

4: Super Wise (Wade, Scherer) 121/5-1

5: Sarge's Sermon (Roman, Biehler) 121/6-1

6: Bob's All In (Sosa, Asprino) 116/10-1

CASHANOVA (2) tries for back-to-back after winning a marathon in last. Shortens up, may be the controlling speed and barn wins 25% after winning their last start. SUPER WISE (4) will be close to the early pace and might appreciate the cut back in distance after back-to-back marathons. CHOCOLATEICECREAM (3) absolutely loves the Shakopee sod winning five of 11 but faces tougher here.

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