Canterbury reveals opening date for live races, other events

SHAKOPEE, Minn. (FOX 9) - The horses are metaphorically approaching the starting gate. Canterbury’s live horse racing season kicks of Saturday, May 27. 

This year’s 54-day season runs through Sept. 17. Some highlights of the upcoming schedule are the Northern Stars Turf Festival with four turf stakes plus the centerpiece $100,000 Canterbury Derby on June 21, and the Minnesota Festival of Champions, restricted to horses bred in the state, with $600,000 in purse money Saturday, Sept. 9. Of course that is in addition to the always adorable corgi races on July 30.

"Canterbury Park is a staple of Minnesotans’ summer entertainment calendar. We are looking forward to another season of competitive racing on the track complemented by fun events throughout the Park," General Manager John Groen said in a release. "Our schedule includes many of the family-friendly promotions that have proven popular year after year including corgi racing, our Kwik Trip Fireworks Spectacular, and Extreme Race Day with camels and ostriches, along with a full slate of food and drink-centric options for our adult crowd. Our goal is to provide a great entertainment value for a wide array of fans to keep our regular visitors coming back as well as introduce new casual audiences to the excitement of live horse racing."  

For a full schedule and a list of all other associated events click here.