ARABIAN RACING COMING TO CANTERBURY
By Les Crowl, MAHA Board Member
As you can see by the ad in this issue [of the Leader], Arabians will, for the first time since 1998, be racing at Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN, on Sunday, August 14th, with the first post at 1:30pm!
Two races, each with a purse of $20,000, will be held at different distances. The first race will probably be the ARAM (Arabian Racing Assn. of MN.) Desert Distaff, at 6 Furlongs for Fillies and Mares, 3 yrs. and up. The other will be the ARAM Sahara Stakes at 1 Mile and 70 yards open to Fillies, Mares, Colts, Stallions and Geldings 3 yrs. and up.
Although we do not yet know the race order, whether one race will be 1st and the other 10th, or 3rd and 5th, etc., we encourage you to be there early to show your support. Gates open at 12 Noon . If you enter the racetrack at the Valet entrance, you can register as an Arabian supporter, take a brief questionnaire and get FREE General Admission! In addition, there will be an area near the U Betcha Bar and Grill for Arabian supporters to congregate, if you so desire. Or, visit with Anita, Lezlie & Victor, and the other Demo horses and riders near Shire Square!
ARAM would like to express a special thanks to Anita and Lezlie Grant for offering to be our Arabian Mounted Native Costume Lead Rider who will escort each Arabian race from the paddock to the track. Lezlie and Victor did a great job for us in '98 and we look forward to it, again, this year! We also would like to say thanks to others who may be participating as "Demo" riders and horses, on Sunday, August 14th. Please believe it when we say, you have our utmost gratitude!
If you have any questions before or after the races, please contact myself or Gert Lambert . I can be reached at (612) 532-5182, (952) 435-8758, (952) 361-1712 or lcrowl@co.carver.mn.us/elcarabians@msn.com and Ms. Lambert can be contacted at (320) 532-3583 or gel@mlecmn.net.
For reserved tickets or other track-related concerns, you can call Canterbury at 952-445-RACE.
Thanks, again, for your support of live Arabian racing in Minnesota .we hope to do it again in 2006! By the way, if you enjoy the races on August 14th , we'd like to respectfully request that you please contact Canterbury Park afterwards and express your support by telling them you'd like to see more live Arabian racing, each season!
You can contact rsampson@canterburypark.com , call 952-445-7223 and ask for Eric Halstrom, Director of Live Racing Operations, or write to: Randy Sampson, President, Canterbury Park, 1100 So. Canterbury Road, Shakopee, MN 55379.
Hope you have a great time and, "race on!"