Canterbury Park's final day of racing action-packed

Final day of racing

Canterbury Park's pandemic-delayed season ends Thursday, with a jam-packed final day of racing at the Shakopee track. Though the season started about a month late and was reduced by 12 days, a limited number of spectators were allowed throughout the 53-day meet, contributing to record handle of more than $64 million.

When: First post 4 p.m.

The card: 13 races, with 120 horses entered. The $50,000 Shakopee Juvenile is the eighth race, and the $50,000 Tom Metzen HBPA Sprint is the ninth.

Admission: A limited number of tickets ($10-$15) are available and can be purchased in advance at canterburypark.com

The title chases: Joel Berndt (43 victories) has clinched his first Canterbury Park trainer's title, besting 13-time champ Mac Robertson. Bob Lothenbach of Wayzata captured the owner's title with 30 victories.

Two-time riding champion Ry Eikleberry (75 victories) and defending champion Francisco Arrieta (68) are battling for the jockey crown.

Handle soars: With attendance capped at 1,000 or fewer each day, Canterbury officials chose to race Mondays through Thursdays in the hope of drawing more out-of-state wagering. That was a good bet. Huge gains among off-track horseplayers pushed total handle well past the previous record of $48.1 million, set in 2018.