The routine hasn't changed for six years. At the end of Canterbury Park's racing season, Joel Zamzow takes A P Is Loose to his farm near Duluth, where the bay gelding spends three or four months hanging out and eating carrots.
Getting that extended break every year has kept A P Is Loose sound, healthy and happy — and his owner has reaped the rewards. The leading money-earner in Canterbury Park history will return to his summer job Saturday, kicking off his season in the $100,000 Mystic Lake Mile.
The race is part of Canterbury's Northern Stars Racing Festival, which includes the $200,000 Mystic Lake Derby and the $100,000 Lady Canterbury.
A P Is Loose will face a stout field of 13 rivals on the turf course in his first race since last September. It's a major challenge for the 8-year-old, but, Zamzow said, he shows no signs of slowing down.
"He's got so much try and so much heart," the Duluth resident said of his stable's star, who has won $460,038 at Canterbury. "He's stayed incredibly sound — he's never missed a day of training — and he's been so consistent year after year.
"I've never had a horse like him. He's been a joy."
Zamzow typically names his horses after his children, Mack and Hunter. Watching a highlight video of former Vikings running back Adrian Peterson inspired him to try something new.
He heard Canterbury race announcer Paul Allen, who does play-by-play for Vikings games, shout his signature line — "A.P. is loose!" — and decided it was "the perfect name" for a racehorse.
