AND THEY'RE OFF

Canterbury Park begins a 69-day racing season Friday, its 22nd since its reopening in 1995. The meet features thoroughbred and quarter horse racing, with $14.2 million in total purses.

Dates: Friday through Sept. 17

The schedule: Racing will be held Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through June 5, with Thursdays added to the schedule beginning June 9. Special holiday cards will be held on Memorial Day, July 4 and Labor Day.

Post times: 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 12:45 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Saturday racing will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 6, 13 and 20 and at 6 p.m. on Aug. 27. Racing on July 3 begins at 4 p.m.

Admission: $7 regular, $9 on premium days, $1 on Thursdays. Kids 17 and under admitted free. See www.canterburypark.com for list of premium days and information on reserved clubhouse seating.

Season highlights: Canterbury Park's richest race, the $200,000 Mystic Lake Derby, will be held Aug. 27. The Festival of Champions, a day reserved for Minnesota-bred horses, will be Aug. 21 and offers more than $500,000 in total purses. The track's biggest quarter-horse race, the $100,000 Mystic Lake Northlands Futurity, highlights a July 10 card that includes three quarter-horse stakes with total purses of $170,000. The June 19 card includes a pair of $100,000 turf stakes, the Lady Canterbury Stakes and the Mystic Lake Mile. The popular Extreme Race Day, featuring ostrich, camel and zebra races, is July 16.

Opening weekend: Friday's opening-night card includes eight races, highlighted by the 10,000 Lakes Stakes. There are nine races Saturday, including the Lady Slipper Stakes, and the Preakness Stakes — the second leg of racing's Triple Crown — will be simulcast live. Sunday's eight races include two $40,000 stakes, the Paul Bunyan and the L'Etoile du Nord.

Entries, results, other info: www.canterburypark.com

RACHEL BLOUNT