Let the American Pharoah Sweepstakes Begin
Monmouth Park and the $1 million Haskell Invitational is the early leader into the clubhouse turn, with venerable Saratoga and their Jim Dandy stalking close behind, but this race is far from over. It’s more than just any race, it’s a true Sweepstakes, where the winner is given the right to host the very first race back of American Pharoah after captivating the world by racing to glory in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes. Can you imagine the fanfare connected to the return to the races of the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years? Canterbury Park can.
The first shot in the Sweepstakes has been fired, and it is a big one. Canterbury Park and Minnesota Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association officials announced today that the Mystic Lake Derby would offer a $2 million purse should the connections of American Pharoah agree to race at the Shakopee, Minnesota oval.
Originally scheduled for Saturday, August 29, at one mile on the turf, and with a purse of $200,000, the American Pharoah version would take place on Sunday, August 30 and be run at 1 1/8 miles on the main track.
“Our intent is to make the Mystic Lake Derby a major race,” Randy Sampson, Canterbury Park President and CEO said. “Attracting American Pharoah to Canterbury would certainly do that. We and our horsemen owe it to our loyal race fans to at least extend this offer to the connections of the Triple Crown winner.”
Should the Zayat Stables homebred be sent to Minnesota, the Mystic Lake Derby would be the richest race in the history of the track and the largest purse offered this summer in North American racing.
“The 37-year drought has ended and we have a Triple Crown winner. This is a tremendous opportunity for the racing industry and this change to the Mystic Lake Derby puts Canterbury Park into the national racing conversation,” said Eric Halstrom, Vice President of Racing.
By way of comparison, here’s what the modern day Triple Crown winners did in their first race removed from the Belmont Stakes ...
In 1973, Secretariat brought his tremendous machine self to the Midwest and Arlington Park to run in the Arlington Invitational just three weeks after the Belmont. Secretariat’s connections could have gotten more than the $125,000 offered by the Suburban Chicago oval for Big Red’s first race back, but a friendship with track representative Bill Thayer, helped them make the decision. Arlington was able to gather three sacrificial lambs to challenge the super horse. Secretariat ended up thrilling the Chicago crowd with an easy win in front of more than 40,000 happy fans.
In 1978, Laz Barrera chose a more sensible course of action for his champion, by giving Affirmed plenty of time before coming back from his amazing winning battle over Alydar in the Belmont Stakes. The location was Saratoga, and the event was the Jim Dandy Stakes, which served as the perfect local prep for another showdown with Alydar in the Travers. It also gave the Harbor View color bearer a full eight weeks after his classic win in the Belmont. It may have been an ideal prep over the track for the Travers, but it was by no means easy, as the talented speedster Sensitive Prince looked like he had the champion dead to rights until Affirmed exploded the final sixteenth to blow by in the final few yards.