Canterbury Park
Encyclopedia
Canterbury Park is a horse racing track located in Shakopee
, Minnesota
, USA.
It runs a meet that consists of 62 racing days from early May to Labor Day, generally holding scheduled races Thursday through Sunday, with racing added on several holidays throughout the meet. The track itself features a one mile oval dirt track and a seven furlong
turf
course. Outside seating is available along with several indoor seating options. The track runs multiple food stands and bars throughout the building and simulcast betting is also offered.
Canterbury Park has hosted the Claiming Crown
of horse racing for all but three years since its inception in 1999.
The park also includes a card club. A two-week series of poker tournaments is held each fall at Canterbury Park.
, "Fields, along with his nephew Brooks Hauser, formed Minnesota Racetrack Inc. after a constitutional amendment allowing parimutuel wagering on horse racing was approved by Minnesota voters in 1982. Naming Santa Anita as its primary partner, Minnesota Racetrack Inc. was awarded the state's first racetrack license by the Minnesota Racing Commission and the facility in Shakopee held its first race on June 26, 1985. The introduction of the state's lottery and the widespread growth of casino gaming at Native American-hosted facilities in the area saw Canterbury Downs business repeatedly fall below revenue projections, and the track was sold in 1990 to Ladbroke Racing PLC."
In 1990, Canterbury was bought by Ladbroke Racing Corporation and was renamed New Canterbury Downs. In December 1992, it closed its doors after a disastrous live racing season that saw an enormous drop in attendance. In late 1993, Canterbury was bought by Irwin L. Jacobs
, who quickly sold it to Curtis and Randy Sampson. Shortly after the sale, the Sampsons worked to revitalize Canterbury, so that it reopened its doors to simulcasting, and it quickly removed itself from debt
. In late 1994, Canterbury carried through on a promise to return live horse racing to Minnesota. In January 1995, Canterbury Downs officially changed its name to Canterbury Park.
Due to the 2011 Minnesota state government shutdown
, Canterbury was forced to close. Ramsey County
District Judge Kathleen Gearin rejected a court case by the owners of Canterbury to reopen it. Canterbury Park reopened on July 20, 2011 when the 2011 Minnesota state government shutdown
ended.
Shakopee, Minnesota
Shakopee is a city southwest of downtown Minneapolis in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Scott County. Located on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the thirteenth largest...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, USA.
It runs a meet that consists of 62 racing days from early May to Labor Day, generally holding scheduled races Thursday through Sunday, with racing added on several holidays throughout the meet. The track itself features a one mile oval dirt track and a seven furlong
Furlong
A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and U.S. customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to 220 yards, 660 feet, 40 rods, or 10 chains. The exact value of the furlong varies slightly among English-speaking countries....
turf
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
course. Outside seating is available along with several indoor seating options. The track runs multiple food stands and bars throughout the building and simulcast betting is also offered.
Canterbury Park has hosted the Claiming Crown
Claiming Crown
The Claiming Crown, inaugurated in 1999, is a series of seven races run under starter allowance conditions, with purses ranging from $50,000 to $150,000. It is seen as a ‘’blue collar” Breeders' Cup series for claiming horses...
of horse racing for all but three years since its inception in 1999.
The park also includes a card club. A two-week series of poker tournaments is held each fall at Canterbury Park.
History
Canterbury Downs was founded by Walter Brooks Fields, Jr., and other investors. According to David Miller of the Daily Racing FormDaily Racing Form
The Daily Racing Form is a tabloid newspaper founded in 1894 in Chicago, Illinois by Frank Brunell. The paper publishes the past performances of race horses as a statistical service for bettors on horse racing in the United States....
, "Fields, along with his nephew Brooks Hauser, formed Minnesota Racetrack Inc. after a constitutional amendment allowing parimutuel wagering on horse racing was approved by Minnesota voters in 1982. Naming Santa Anita as its primary partner, Minnesota Racetrack Inc. was awarded the state's first racetrack license by the Minnesota Racing Commission and the facility in Shakopee held its first race on June 26, 1985. The introduction of the state's lottery and the widespread growth of casino gaming at Native American-hosted facilities in the area saw Canterbury Downs business repeatedly fall below revenue projections, and the track was sold in 1990 to Ladbroke Racing PLC."
In 1990, Canterbury was bought by Ladbroke Racing Corporation and was renamed New Canterbury Downs. In December 1992, it closed its doors after a disastrous live racing season that saw an enormous drop in attendance. In late 1993, Canterbury was bought by Irwin L. Jacobs
Irwin L. Jacobs
Irwin L Jacobs is an entrepreneur and the CEO of several large corporations, including Genmar Holdings, Inc. the worlds largest boat building company. He earned the nickname "Irv the Liquidator" for his aggressive business practices in the 1970s and early 1980s...
, who quickly sold it to Curtis and Randy Sampson. Shortly after the sale, the Sampsons worked to revitalize Canterbury, so that it reopened its doors to simulcasting, and it quickly removed itself from debt
Debt
A debt is an obligation owed by one party to a second party, the creditor; usually this refers to assets granted by the creditor to the debtor, but the term can also be used metaphorically to cover moral obligations and other interactions not based on economic value.A debt is created when a...
. In late 1994, Canterbury carried through on a promise to return live horse racing to Minnesota. In January 1995, Canterbury Downs officially changed its name to Canterbury Park.
Due to the 2011 Minnesota state government shutdown
2011 Minnesota state government shutdown
The 2011 Minnesota state government shutdown was a government shutdown affecting the U.S. state of Minnesota, due to a fiscal dispute between the Governor and the state legislature. The shutdown started at midnight, July 1, 2011...
, Canterbury was forced to close. Ramsey County
Ramsey County, Minnesota
Ramsey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota, founded in 1849. As of 2010, the population was 508,640. Its county seat is St. Paul, which is also Minnesota's state capital. The county is named for Alexander Ramsey , the first governor of the Minnesota Territory...
District Judge Kathleen Gearin rejected a court case by the owners of Canterbury to reopen it. Canterbury Park reopened on July 20, 2011 when the 2011 Minnesota state government shutdown
2011 Minnesota state government shutdown
The 2011 Minnesota state government shutdown was a government shutdown affecting the U.S. state of Minnesota, due to a fiscal dispute between the Governor and the state legislature. The shutdown started at midnight, July 1, 2011...
ended.
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