Canterbury Park Hall of Fame jockey Scott Stevens will return to riding Friday at Turf Paradise. He has been named on two mounts, the first a Doug Oliver trainee.
Stevens was hurt in a gate incident during training hours in mid-June at Canterbury. He injured both shoulders including a broken scapula. It has been a long road back for Stevens but not the first time the 50-year-old rider has overcome the odds. He also suffered multiple injuries a year prior. While many thought that would end his career, Stevens was back in the winners’ circle less than five months later. He looks for the same to happen this time.
“I’ve been in therapy since July,” Stevens said. “I had to work hard. I’ve got 95% of the motion in my shoulder.”
Stevens was leading rider at Canterbury from 1990 through 1992 and is near the top of the Canterbury historical standings in nearly every record that matters.
Stevens is more than ready for his career to resume. “I feel good,” he said. "Everything works." The veteran chooses his mounts wisely so victory will not be far off.
Stevens was recently named a finalist for the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award. Read more here...
Other news….
Jockey Paul Nolan has moved his tack to New Orleans where he is working for trainer Michael Stidham at Fair Grounds. He has a mount in the second race on Saturday.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Canterbury Park’s 2012 Race Meet Receives Approval
Canterbury Park received approval from the Minnesota Racing Commission on Thursday to conduct a 62-day thoroughbred and quarter horse race meet in 2012. The meet will begin Friday, May 18 and run through Monday, September 3. Thursday and Friday racing will begin at 7:00 p.m. with weekend and holiday racing beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Featured race days in 2012 will include the 19th renewal of the Minnesota Festival of Champions, a day dedicated to the best race horses bred in the state, and the second annual Fillies Race For Hope, a day of races exclusively for fillies and mares that will benefit Hope Chest for Breast Cancer Foundation. Dates for those events will be announced in January along with a complete stakes schedule.
“The 2012 race meet will closely resemble the meet we ran this year, minus the state government shutdown that caused Canterbury and the horse owners, trainers and breeders to lose 20 days of business,” track president Randy Sampson said. “While the shutdown and loss of revenues had a negative impact on next season’s purses, it is necessary to offer sufficient racing opportunities so that Canterbury continues to attract enough horses to make the meet a success,” Sampson said.
Featured race days in 2012 will include the 19th renewal of the Minnesota Festival of Champions, a day dedicated to the best race horses bred in the state, and the second annual Fillies Race For Hope, a day of races exclusively for fillies and mares that will benefit Hope Chest for Breast Cancer Foundation. Dates for those events will be announced in January along with a complete stakes schedule.
“The 2012 race meet will closely resemble the meet we ran this year, minus the state government shutdown that caused Canterbury and the horse owners, trainers and breeders to lose 20 days of business,” track president Randy Sampson said. “While the shutdown and loss of revenues had a negative impact on next season’s purses, it is necessary to offer sufficient racing opportunities so that Canterbury continues to attract enough horses to make the meet a success,” Sampson said.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Equine Development Coalition of Minnesota Formed, Selects Leaders for 2012
Formerly named Racino Now, the Coalition will advocate on Behalf of Horse Racing and Other Equine Activities
In an effort to build Minnesota's equine industry and accelerate rural economic development, Racino Now has approved a new name and elected new officers to focus its work to support Minnesota's horse industry.
Under its new name, the Equine Development Coalition of Minnesota (EDCoM) will replace Racino Now, advocating on behalf of horse owners and breeders, horse racing fans and the tens of thousands of Minnesotans who depend on a healthy equine industry in this state. Jeff Hilger, a longtime Minnesota business owner, thoroughbred breeder and owner of Bleu Valley Farm in Stillwater, Minn., has been named President of EDCoM. Rosemary Higgins, a quarter horse owner from Princeton, Minn., will serve as Executive Director. Quinn Cheney has been retained as the lobbyist for EDCoM in St. Paul.
“The equine industry touches all 87 counties in our state. It will be an enormous economic engine for Minnesota if legislators are willing to make the same investment in horse racing purses and equine development that other states have successfully made,” Hilger explained.
In 2004, Dr. Brian Buhr, current Director of the University of Minnesota’s Department of Applied Economics, estimated that Minnesota’s equine industry created a total economic impact of approximately $1 billion. Additionally, he noted that Minnesota could improve that economic impact with an increase in racing purses.
Increasing horse racing purses is important because it helps grow the entire industry – more horses, trainers and breeders come to Minnesota, requiring more support from farmers, veterinarians, fence builders and other businesses. EDCoM supports Racino legislation, which would provide $135 million in new revenue for the State of Minnesota and make significant investments in the equine industry.
“Putting the new revenue aside, there is a much bigger picture here.” said Hilger. “If our state is like the 12 other states that have passed Racino legislation, it can more than double the dollar value of our equine industry. We are talking jobs here - for farmers, feed suppliers, veterinarians, fence and barn builders and many other businesses. Larger purses will allow Minnesota breeders to be more competitive, attracting trainers, breeders and owners and causing a ripple effect around the state.”
Twelve states have approved Racino legislation, and each of those states has experienced an increase in racing purses and equine development because of the legislation. Independent public surveys have shown that support among Minnesotans for Racino legislation exceeds 75 percent.
“In the short term, we have a vehicle that allows the Legislature to address a few of the toughest problems facing the state, and in the long-run increase jobs and help an agricultural industry that has been hard hit,” Hilger explains. “Simple logic dictates that it is time to move this economic engine forward.”
The Equine Development Coalition of Minnesota is a group of dedicated equine industry members who want to improve economic development throughout Minnesota by strengthening the state's horse industry. EDCoM supports passage of Racino legislation. For more information about the Racino proposal, go to http://www.racinonow.com/.
In an effort to build Minnesota's equine industry and accelerate rural economic development, Racino Now has approved a new name and elected new officers to focus its work to support Minnesota's horse industry.
Under its new name, the Equine Development Coalition of Minnesota (EDCoM) will replace Racino Now, advocating on behalf of horse owners and breeders, horse racing fans and the tens of thousands of Minnesotans who depend on a healthy equine industry in this state. Jeff Hilger, a longtime Minnesota business owner, thoroughbred breeder and owner of Bleu Valley Farm in Stillwater, Minn., has been named President of EDCoM. Rosemary Higgins, a quarter horse owner from Princeton, Minn., will serve as Executive Director. Quinn Cheney has been retained as the lobbyist for EDCoM in St. Paul.
“The equine industry touches all 87 counties in our state. It will be an enormous economic engine for Minnesota if legislators are willing to make the same investment in horse racing purses and equine development that other states have successfully made,” Hilger explained.
In 2004, Dr. Brian Buhr, current Director of the University of Minnesota’s Department of Applied Economics, estimated that Minnesota’s equine industry created a total economic impact of approximately $1 billion. Additionally, he noted that Minnesota could improve that economic impact with an increase in racing purses.
Increasing horse racing purses is important because it helps grow the entire industry – more horses, trainers and breeders come to Minnesota, requiring more support from farmers, veterinarians, fence builders and other businesses. EDCoM supports Racino legislation, which would provide $135 million in new revenue for the State of Minnesota and make significant investments in the equine industry.
“Putting the new revenue aside, there is a much bigger picture here.” said Hilger. “If our state is like the 12 other states that have passed Racino legislation, it can more than double the dollar value of our equine industry. We are talking jobs here - for farmers, feed suppliers, veterinarians, fence and barn builders and many other businesses. Larger purses will allow Minnesota breeders to be more competitive, attracting trainers, breeders and owners and causing a ripple effect around the state.”
Twelve states have approved Racino legislation, and each of those states has experienced an increase in racing purses and equine development because of the legislation. Independent public surveys have shown that support among Minnesotans for Racino legislation exceeds 75 percent.
“In the short term, we have a vehicle that allows the Legislature to address a few of the toughest problems facing the state, and in the long-run increase jobs and help an agricultural industry that has been hard hit,” Hilger explains. “Simple logic dictates that it is time to move this economic engine forward.”
The Equine Development Coalition of Minnesota is a group of dedicated equine industry members who want to improve economic development throughout Minnesota by strengthening the state's horse industry. EDCoM supports passage of Racino legislation. For more information about the Racino proposal, go to http://www.racinonow.com/.
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