Longshots pay off big in 31st Minnesota Festival of Champions at Canterbury Park

Longshots Able Seaman, Where’s Marilyn and She’s My Warrior were among the winners in the 31st Minnesota Festival of Champions at Canterbury Park in Shakopee on Saturday night.

The eight-race program was restricted to horses bred in the state. Jockey Alonso Quinonez rode three winners: Where’s Marilyn in the $75,000 Northern Lights Debutante at 17-to-1 odds, favorite Half Brother in the Blair’s Cove Minnesota Turf Championship and Thealligatorhunter in the Crocrock Minnesota Sprint Championship.

Able Seaman, with Guillermo Rodriguez aboard, began the first of six thoroughbred stakes races by winning the $75,000 Northern Lights Futurity at 22-to-1 odds. The Mike Biehler-trained horse paid $42.80 to win.

Even-money favorite Half Brother, trained by Gary Scherer, followed by winning the $50,000 Blair’s Cove Minnesota Turf Championship by a head over Found Jordan. In the Northern Lights Debutante, 2-year-old Where’s Marilyn won by 2¼ lengths, paying $36.60 to win.

Serafin Carmona guided Cupid’s Crush to an easy front-running victory in the $50,000 Princess Elaine Minnesota Distaff Turf Championship; Midnight Current was in second, more than seven lengths back.

Tim Padilla trained the winners of the last two races. In the $50,000 Bella Notte Minnesota Distaff Sprint, She’s My Warrior won by 1¼ lengths over Lover Girl. And in the $50,000 Crocrock Minnesota Sprint Championship, favorite Thealligatorhunter gave Quinonez his third victory, beating Sir Sterling by a neck.