Page 64 - 20 July 2012

northlands Futurity
miDniGhT sunliGhT
by John Moorehouse
The Northlands Futurity came down to
a three-way photo finish. Ultimately, Midnight Sunlight prevailed as the win-
ner of the $59,800 stakes event on July 5 at Canterbury Park. The filly notched her second win in five outs, and her first stakes win.
Brenda Reiswig, the owner of Midnight Sunlight, collected a $29,900 payday for her filly’s triumph, which boosted her career bankroll to $98,074.
Midnight Sunlight already had distinguished herself in stakes competition, placing second in the Oklahoma Futurity-G2 in her second career out at Remington Park back in March.
Coming into the event as the fourth-fastest qualifier, Midnight Sunlight drew
the No. 5 starting gate
for the 350-yard futurity. She avoided trouble on her
immediate left at the start, as Eye A Hero and Naked Spur bumped coming out of the gates. Meanwhile, Midnight Sunlight, Mr Shakem Diva and BP Painted Lady established them- selves as the contenders for winner’s honors. It looked like it was Mr Shakem Diva’s race to lose, but Midnight Sunlight came up late to meet Mr Shakem Diva at the wire. Midnight Sunlight got there first by a nose, completing
her trip in :17.843. Victor Hanson trains
Midnight Sunlight, who was ridden by Stormy Smith. With the Northlands
victory, Midnight Sunlight joined her dam, Quick Moon Sign, as a stakes winner. The mare won three graded stakes and over $400,000 during the late 1990s. As a brood- mare, Quick Moon Sign has 25 foals, 21 of whom have made starts. Four of those are
stakes-placed, and Midnight Sunlight is the first stakes winner. Bobby Cox owns Quick Moon Sign and bred Midnight Sunlight.
At odds of almost 30-1, Mr Shakem Diva (Royal Shake Em-Ms Devine Diva) finished second for owner David Wisdom and trainer Ed Hardy. Clyde Smith did the riding. Favored BP Painted Lady (PYC Paint Your Wagon- Ladys Is First) finished third. Owned by Movin On, the filly is trained by Amber Blair and had Cody Smith in the irons.
The remaining order of finish was NN Absolutley (Tres Seis-Absolut Stoli), Eye A Hero (Valiant Hero-Ms Eyelene), Lynns Wagon (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Lynns Allante), SR Ivory Queen (Ivory James-Blue Grass Bounce), Naked Spur (Ivory James-Scariest) and Jess Thats Blazin (Swingin Jess-Sure Thats Blazin). Traffic Patrol was scratched.
Canterbury Park $59,800 • 350 yards :17.843 • si 93
Corona Cartel
Ivory James
Quick Moon Sign
MIDNIGHT SUNLIGHT, ’10-f.
Royal Quick Dash
Quick Moon Sign
Azure Moon Sign
Racing news
Canterbury Park Derby
huCKleBeRRy moJiTo
by John Moorehouse
huckleberry Mojito came into the Canterbury Park Derby both as the top qualifier and the heavy favorite at the betting
window. She didn’t just live up to those expec- tations in the stakes event. She surpassed them.
The filly completed the $40,650 derby in :19.625, setting a 400-yard track record and bring- ing home a $20,325 payday for her owners, LMR 2011. The first-place share of the derby purse nearly doubled her prior bank-
roll to a new total of $46,645.
An Ed Ross Hardy trainee, Huckleberry Mojito helped her trainer win this derby for the seventh time
in his career, and do so in resounding fashion. The filly burst from the No. 3 gate like a shot and promptly bolted
to a one-length lead. From there, she ran away from her competition, winning the race by a strong 1 1/2 lengths.
62 SPEEDHORSE, July 20, 2012
Jockey Nik Goodwin was aboard.
While setting the 400-yard track record
at Canterbury, one-upping the :19.692 regis- tered two years ago by Mr Hempens Feature, Huckleberry Mojito also clocked a career-high 108 speed index. The filly now holds three wins in 10 career outs, with two of those victo- ries coming this season.
The derby victory allowed Huckleberry Mojito to join her dam, Eye Opening Special, as a stakes
winner. The 1997 mare logged seven wins in stakes company during her competi- tive career, with four of those at Canterbury. Although three members of Eye Opening Special’s brood were stakes-placed, Huckleberry Mojito became the first to tally a stakes victory.
Gary and Patty Petersen own Eye Opening Special
and bred Huckleberry Mojito, who was foaled in Texas.
Amber Blair trained the other two horses to finish in the money. Runner-up Painted Lies (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Teller Lies), who had his four-race win streak end, is owned by Tom Maher and had Cody Smith in the irons. Lunderborg LLC owns the third- place finisher, Paint Or More (PYC Paint Your Wagon-Tell Her More). Mark Luark did the riding.
Feature Dreamgirl (Feature Mr Jess- Allamericandreamgirl), Streak N Hot (Hotdoggin-Streak N Sierra), Ivory Celebration (Ivory James-Feefees Celebration) and Pita Chick (Wave Carver-Royal Delphias Chick) rounded out the field. BP Phoenix Reign, Corona Jess Lika and Unseen Angel were scratched.
Canterbury Park $40,650 • 400 yards :19.625 • si 108 • Ntr
Mr Jess Perry
Feature Mr Jess
Brenda Feature
HUCKLEBERRY MOJITO, ’09-f.
Mr Eye Opener
Eye Opening Special
Special Words
Coady Photography Coady Photography