Jay Lietzau’s Thursday Canterbury Park line

Here’s Star Tribune handicapper Jay Lietzau’s picks for the Thursday race card at the Shakopee horse racing track.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
June 26, 2024 at 9:52PM
(Aaron Lavinsky/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Post time: 5 p.m. Lock of the day: Go Lee Ann Go (7th race). Value play of the day: Bango’s Heat (3rd race). Big score: 50-cent Pick 5 ticket— Race 1, (3,4,7/1,2,4/2,7/1/2,3,5,7,9,10) $54.00.

1 1 mile. State bred. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming: $25,000. Purse: $15,500.

#: Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds

1: Midnight Royal (Lindsay, VanWinkle)124/4-1

2: Ramblingamblinman (Valenzuela, Riecken)124/6-1

3: Hayhaycaptain Jac (Harr, Litfin)124/6-1

4: Got Ghosted (Fuentes, Rhone)119/7-2

5: Back to Selling (Ceballos, Rengstorf)124/5-1

6: R Voo’s Taboo (Rodriguez, Westermann)124/15-1

7: Caught Off Guard (Gallardo, Berndt)119/2-1

HAYHAYCAPTAIN JAC (3) is third off the layoff for a hot barn. Ran exceptionally well last summer but has struggled this year. Maybe the addition of blinkers will wake him up. CAUGHT OFF GUARD (7) broke his maiden against open company in Louisiana as a two-year-old but has yet to regain that form at three. GOT GHOSTED (4) tried the turf last out around two-turns and struggled but returns to the dirt.

2 6½ furlongs. Fillies and mares. 3-year-olds and up. Starter optional claiming: $8,000. Purse: $16,000.

#: Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds

1: Twelve Stars (Fuentes, Martinez)122/5-2

2: Saint Sarena (Pena, Biehler)122/8-1

3: Clubhouse Saint (Rodriguez, Woolley, Jr.)122/9-2

4: Chasing Shadows (Gallardo, Riecken)124/3-1

5: O’Babe (Carmona, Scherer)117/6-1

6: Vow (Quinonez, Williams)122/4-1

7: Sea Level (Roman, Biehler)122/12-1

SAINT SARENA (2) dueled for the lead in last before tiring late in her seasonal debut. Probably needed the race from a fitness standpoint. Expect to see her usual speed today and to last longer. TWELVE STARS (1) won three-in-a-row this spring at Turf Paradise but flopped as the favorite in her first local start. Has tactical speed and top jock. CHASING SHADOWS (4) is in great form having won three straight. Will be closing late.

3 5 furlongs on turf. Fillies and mares. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming: $20,000. Purse: $19,500.

#: Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds

1: Astern Maid (Barajas, Silva)117/15-1

2: Bango’s Heat (Pena, Martinez)122/5-1

3: Short Stretch (Rodriguez, Biehler)117/9-2

4: Girls a Legacy (Roman, Biehler)117/10-1

5: Goddess of War (Carmona, Lund)117/6-1

6: Alexandra’s Song (Gallardo, Berndt)117/5-2

7: Caly Bali (Fuentes, Rosin)122/2-1

BANGO’S HEAT (2) won her career debut two back easily and then faced much tougher. Tries a turf sprint for the first time but her breeding suggest she should relish the new surface. CALY BALI (7) broke her maiden at this specialty distance in dominate fashion last summer. Might need a start before we see her best off the layoff. ALEXANDRA’S SONG (6) cuts back in distance for good connections.

4 6 furlongs. Open. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming: $5,000. Purse: $13,000.

#: Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds

1: Direct Action (Barajas, Silva)122/3-1

2: Pervasive (Arroyo, Muckey)122/5-1

3: Vroysky (Morales, Silva, Jr.)122/5-2

4: Schmooze (Gallardo, Bethke)122/10-1

5: Ferrari Road (Carmona, Muckey)117/8-1

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

7: Forsaken (Roman, Espinoza)122/4-1

8: Birdie Machine (Valenzuela, Berndt)122/12-1

DIRECT ACTION (1) made his seasonal debut on the turf and displayed speed from the outside post. Gets back to the dirt where all three of his career wins occurred. Needs to break alertly from the rail. FORSAKEN (7) flashed speed when routing in last. Cutback in distance could be beneficial. VROYSKY (3) has posted some fast speed figures but those were on the turf. Has struggled since the long layoff.

5 1 mile on turf. Open. 3-year-olds and up. Claiming: $10,000. Purse: $16,500.

#: Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds

1: Boss Nine (Arroyo, Bedford)124/15-1

2: Mountain Pine (Gallardo, Litfin)124/15-1

3: California Swing (Pena, Woolley, Jr.)124/12-1

4: Thick Haze (Valenzuela, Roberts)124/10-1

5: Total Surprise (Roman, Williams)124/12-1

6: Redisur (Harr, Rarick)124/20-1

7: Devil Vision (Carmona, Robertson)119/6-1

8: Mark in Greeley (Ceballos, Rengstorf)124/15-1

9: Papa Rizzo (Rodriguez, Roberts)124/4-1

10: Coastal Waters (Morales, Silva, Jr.)124/3-1

11: Super Wise (Quinonez, Scherer)124/6-1

12: Toma Todo (Fuentes, Rarick)124/8-1

13: O Dogg (Arroyo, Riecken)124/15-1

14: Vitale (Barandela, Ramaekers)124/12-1

DEVIL VISION (7) is third off the layoff for a top barn. Closed good ground into slow fractions in last. Could get a livelier pace to setup his patented late move today. Carmona climbs aboard. PAPA RIZZO (9) usually displays his customary early speed but has tired in his first two local tries of the season. Maybe more fit today. COASTAL WATERS (10) is usually close on the local lawn but really struggles to get to the wire first.

6 5 furlongs. Fillies and mares. 3-year-olds and up. Allowance optional claiming: $12,500. Purse: $30,000.

#: Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds

1: Savona (Rodriguez, Martinez)122/5-2

2: Scream Machine (Carmona, Robertson (112: 6-1

3: Hotasapistol (Quinonez, Donlin)122/9-2

4: Always Smiling (Fuentes, Williams)124/7-2

5: Shy Shy (Gallardo, Robertson)117/6-1

6: When Judy Calls (Barajas, Silva)122/12-1

7: Firenspice (Da Silva, Rushton)122/10-1

8: Wings From Above (Roman, Riecken)122/8-1

WINGS FROM ABOVE (8) showed really good early speed all winter/spring at the tough Oaklawn meet but broke slow in her local debut and was rushed into contention. A clean break today could make all the difference. SAVONA (1) ran a nice second in her first start since last fall down in Arizona. Ran well on the grass last summer so this could be a prep. HOTASAPISTOL (3) is third off the layoff and has six wins in Shakopee.

7 1 mile on turf. State bred. Fillies and mares. 3-year-olds and up. Allowance. Purse: $34,000.

#: Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds

1: Strabella (Quinonez, Donlin)124/8-1

2: Withherbootson (Barajas, Silva)124/3-1

3: Blues Cross (Arroyo, Rhone)119/12-1

4: On Speed Dial (Valenzuela, VanWinkle)119/10-1

5: Miss Carmen Cibo (Ceballos, Rengstorf)124/6-1

6: Northern Angel (Fuentes, Rosin)119/9-2

7: Go Lee Ann Go (Gallardo, Berndt)119/2-1

8: Sassy Mama (Da Silva, Bethke)119/10-1

GO LEE ANN GO (7) earned a well-deserved placing in her three-year-old debut and her first time on the turf around two-turns. Should improve off that experience and adds Gallardo in the irons. MISS CARMEN CIBO (5) had good speed in her last try before tiring late. The barn has been of fire lately winning with four of their last eight starters. WITHHERBOOTSON (2) doesn’t have a win on the grass but is usually in the mix with her closing style.

8 330 yards. State bred. Open. 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds. Maiden. Purse: $17,000.

#: Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds

1: Saturday Nite Gamble (Ramirez, Stein)125/9-2

2: Lupito (Hernandez, Geditz, Jr.)127/5-1

3: Redhotmama (Estrada, Geditz, Jr.)125/4-1

4: Brother Tommy (Harr, Livingston)125/6-1

5: Travelin Trxie (Fonseca-Soto, Livingston)127/10-1

6: W Is the First Prize (Goodwin, Wilson)125/15-1

7: Oliver Steel (Frink, Hanson)125/20-1

8: Hes Comin N Hot (Navarrete, Jr., Stein)125/3-1

9: One New Year Boy Fly (Ramirez, Stein)125/12-1

10: Kqs Dreaming (Alvidrez, Geditz, Jr.)125/15-1

HES COMIN N HOT (8) was competitive locally as a two-year-old without graduating. Makes his three-year-old debut and must break smoothly to have any chance. REDHOTMAMA (3) lost by only a half-a-length in the North Star State Derby as a maiden in last from the outside post and adds Lasix today. SATURDAY NITE GAMBLE (1) posted a nice speed figure in his last start at two. Hopefully he matured.

9 330 yards. State bred. Open. 2-year-olds. Maiden. Purse: $17,000.

#: Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds

1: Dashing Muy Macha (Valenzuela, Olmstead)124/12-1

2: Shez Got Rhythm (Harr, Geditz, Jr.)124/15-1

3: Jjs Sweet and Sassy (Navarrete, Jr., Stein)124/5-2

4: Recio (Hernandez, Geditz, Jr.)124/12-1

5: Relentless Deal (Ramirez, Stein)124/10-1

6: L Conejo (Fonseca-Soto, Hobbs)124/5-1

7: Rockie B (Frink, Hanson)124/8-1

8: Little Sister Run (Ramirez, McDaniel)124/10-1

9: Jess Walking Thewire (Estrada, Geditz, Jr.)124/12-1

10: Da Lie Lah (Alvidrez, Olmstead)124/3-1

DA LIE LAH (10) is certainly bred to be a winner. Is a full sister to three siblings that each won over $200K including Dickey Bob. Was scratched at the gate three weeks ago after acting up so will have to mellow. JJS SWEET AND SASSY (3) almost captured the North Star States Futurity in her career debut. Added distance will help. L CONEJO (6) had a close second at Remington three back against open company.

10 330 yards. Open. 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds. Maiden. Purse: $17,000.

#: Horse, Jockey, TrainerWt./Odds

1: Pj Dynasty (Fonseca-Soto, Livingston)125/10-1

2: Mondatta (Ramirez, Hardy)127/9-2

3: Turnin Point (Alvidrez, Olmstead)125/7-2

4: Girlwalksintoabar (Harr, Livingston)125/15-1

5: Peepl R Political (Navarrete, Jr., Stein)125/5-2

6: Wgslightwilliegirlup (Estrada, Wilson)125/12-1

7: Relentlessly Sweet (Valenzuela, Olmstead)125/2-1

TURNIN POINT (3) is third off the layoff for the top barn. Ran respectably in her two starts this spring in Oklahoma but has had many chances. Is her own worst enemy at times. RELENTLESSLY SWEET (7) is the “other” Olmstead and has been close multiple times. Owns the tops speed figure but has had ten tries. PEEPL R POLITICAL (5) has upside with only one career start and that was a near-miss third.

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