Hammers Terror wins Inaugural Mystic Lake Derby

The inaugural running of the was not without controversy as Hammers Terror and local jockey Lori Keith withstood a steward’s inquiry and jockey’s claim of foul to win Minnesota’s largest race since the 1991 Minnesota Derby at .

Hammers Terror, owned by Terry Hamilton of Lethbridge, Alberta and trained by Michael Stidham, secured a front-running position under Keith and was able to dictate the pace throughout the race.

Delegation, shipping in from Woodbine along with Hammers Terror, stuck just to the front-runner’s flank throughout but was unable to gain ground throughout the stretch.

The dramatic finish was witnessed by 10,127 race fans. About 50 yards in front of the wire, Hammers Terror veered out abruptly in front of Delegation and jockey Jermaine Bridgmohan.

However, following a stewards’ inquiry and a jockey’s claim of foul, no change was made to the order of finish as it was ruled that the incident did not cost Delegation a better placing.

Hammers Terror was allowed to dictate the terms, running the opening quarter mile in 24.32 seconds and completing the half in 49.38 seconds. He completed the mile over the firm turf course in 1:37.18, securing the victory by one length. The win was the second six-figure purse captured by Hammers Terror this summer; he previously won the $103,000 Charlie Barley Stakes in June at Woodbine.

The win was a homecoming of sorts for the connections. Trainer Michael Stidham has trained horses in Shakopee multiple times throughout the years. Most recently, he campaigned a small string at Canterbury Park in 2007.

Owner Terry Hamilton has also sent runners to Minnesota over the years, having last shipped a stable to Canterbury in 2010. Following the victory, owner Terry Hamilton was ecstatic.

“The agreement between and Canterbury Park is great for racing in Minnesota,” Hamilton said. “I plan to bring horses back to Minnesota – all different types. This is what it’s all about.”

Jockey Lori Keith, currently third in Canterbury’s rider standings, was equally excited following the biggest victory of her career but wasn’t certain she would survive the inquiry and objection.

“I’m not sure what [Hammers Terror] reacted to at the wire. I knew that they were going to take a long look at it due to how dramatic it appeared. He’s a great horse, easy to ride, and once I knew they were going to keep my number up, I was thrilled,” Keith said.

With a total purse of $161,250, the Mystic Lake Derby was the richest race run at Canterbury Park since it re-opened under new management in 1995 and the largest purse in Minnesota racing since the 1991 Minnesota Derby (previously named the St. Paul Derby) was contested for $250,000.

Hammers Terror, a 3-year-old colt bred in Kentucky by Chad Austin Reed, earned $96,750 for the victory pushing his lifetime earnings to $261,053. Hammers Terror was sent to post as the fourth wagering choice and returned $9.00. Delegation returned $4.60 place and Take Heart, a local hopeful from the barn of Mac Robertson, returned $4.60 to show. Gung Ho, sent off as the 9/5 favorite, finished last.The Mystic Lake Derby was the first significant co-promotional event since the historic $83.5 million cooperative marketing and purse enhancement agreement was reached on June 6 between Canterbury Park and the which owns and operates Mystic Lake Casino Hotel.

The Mystic Lake Purse Enhancement Fund contributed $100,000 to the purse of the Mystic Lake Derby. On a whole, purses this season increased by 35 percent at Canterbury Park since the and will more than double when the purse enhancements are fully implemented over the next decade.

“The inaugural Mystic Lake Derby was a tremendous success and is an excellent example of what this cooperative agreement will do for racing,” Canterbury Park President Randy Sampson said. “This is the most significant race in Minnesota in over two decades and we anticipate it will continue to improve over time. I would like to congratulate the connections on the victory; we look forward to seeing more great races like this over the coming decade.”

Earlier in the afternoon, the leadership of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, the Canterbury Park Board of Directors and invited guests unveiled the Mystic Lake Derby trophy which will be housed permanently at the Shakopee race track. The unveiling was preceded by presentations from local dignitaries and elected officials.