With fewer dates in 2025, Canterbury Park reports handle drop

With three fewer race dates than last year, Canterbury Park experienced a 3% fall in average daily handle and a 14% drop in total betting dollars for its meet that ended Saturday night.

The total handle was $45,752,143 with a daily on-track of $154,570 and out of state $798,192. The all-sources average of $952,762 was off from the $981,040 last year.

Click here for Canterbury Park entries and results.

There were 405 races run during this year’s Canterbury meet, 34 fewer than last year. Weather challenges in Shakopee, Minn., including high heat indexes, rain and lightning which caused two full cards to be canceled and two to be shortened. An additional date was added in July bringing total race days to 50. Four races postponed from Thursday were added to closing night, creating a 13-race card which handled $1,746,078.

Average daily attendance reported by the track was 5,105, up 4%.

The 31st season of racing at Canterbury Park ended the same way it began May 24. With Minnesota-bred filly I C Gold and leading jockey Harry Hernández in the winner’s circle.

Hernández won 70 races and was atop the jockey standings the entire meet. This was his third Canterbury riding title.

Total purses paid to owners, trainers and jockeys were 23% less than 2024. That resulted in a smaller average field size of 6.7 horses per race compared with 2024’s 7.4.

“We will continue to work with the state legislature during the upcoming session to address purses,” general manager John Groen said. “Horse racing and the equine industry have an important economic impact across the entire state, touching families and farms in every community.

“There are a number of commonsense solutions that would benefit horse racing as well as the tribes and charities, and we remain committed to working cooperatively with all interested parties to make Minnesota’s racing the premier racing circuit in the upper Midwest.”

Canterbury Park will submit an application for its 2026 season to the Minnesota Racing Commission in November.

José Silva Jr. won his first Canterbury training title with 34 wins. Novogratz Racing Stables was leading Thoroughbred owner with 13 wins.

Frosty View, owned by Charlene Gabler and trained by Joel Berndt, was voted horse of the meet. Summer Winner, trained by Time Padilla, who co-owns the Minnesota-bred filly with Pete Mattson, was the 2-year-old of the meet.

Mad House, a 3-year-old who won three times at Canterbury and captured Saturday’s Grade 2 Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx, was voted the sprinter of the meet. The Florida-bred is owned by James Thares and trained by David VanWinkle.