(00:00:00) J.G. Preston and this is portfolio. Well, it's the biggest weekend of racing of the year out of Canterbury Downs this weekend today. Some of the country's top three year old Phillies compete for a hundred and fifty thousand dollar person the Canterbury Oaks then tomorrow, there's three hundred thousand dollars on the table for the third running of the st. Paul Derby and that race will be seen by a national television audience on ESPN. So today on sport folio. We're talking horses talk about what's going on in out of Canterbury and a little bit later on in the hour. We plan to talk to the top jockey at Canterbury Downs Dean Koontz. So if you have some questions about what's going on at Canterbury Downs and horse racing business, give us a call at 2:00 to 7:00 6,000 here on sport folio. Oh, I thought for sure the st. Paul Derby would be the rain dance we've been looking for mr. Randy Johnson Randy staring at me from across the track because last two years st. Paul Derby boy, we've had these killer Storms remember that all last year that was a beauty that one that came up on Derby Day in the year before to but tomorrow I guess if well I'd take the rain I would settle for a nasty storm this year but we're not going to get it this forecast for tomorrow is unbelievable sunny and the high around 83 you could actually go outside tomorrow, that'd be great. Anyway, the st. Paul Derby goes off tomorrow afternoon with the field of ten three-year-old Colts 300,000 dollars at stake actually more than that the track puts of $300,000 and then there are entry fees. These horses are spending their their owners at least are spending anywhere from 800 to five thousand dollars just to get their horse in the race and that money all goes into the pool to actual start. The same folder be will be 5:40 p.m. Tomorrow afternoon and the first race begins at 1:00 at Canterbury down. So I was at the st. Paul Athletic Club Yesterday where they had the ceremonial drawing for post positions in the st. Paul Derby. They take all the horses that are entered and as they do for every race. They just make a ceremony out of it for every race at the track, but they have a little Shaker that has what they call pills. They're in there. They have a number on them. You know, you shake them around you pull out a number at random you pull the horse's name out at random you match them up and that's how they decide what post position a horse will start from in a race. They do it for every race. And for the same folder be yesterday. The the horse that everybody was looking at was actually the last one drawn to hanno will be starting from the number four post position in this field of 10 post position really isn't that significant in the st. Paul Derby. It's a mile and an eighth which means they start pretty much at the head of the stretch and I've got a long run to the first turn. So there's plenty of time to get things shaken down and do your jockeying for position going into that first turn. So, you know, whether you're kind of a slow horse duck on the outside or Some speed on the outside looking to cut in whatever there's not a frantic Rush right before the first turn and try to get good position going into the turn the way there is for say a race of exactly one mile which starts pretty close to the turn. So, I don't think the having looked at the post positions. I don't think I'm going to have much influence on what goes on tomorrow. Anyway Tejano starting out of the number four post position and I got to admit I'm sitting here looking at the Sunday racing form right now and trying to get a handle on this race and I personally just can't see any win this race being able to run with the ha know there's some other horses in here with some credentials and some other horses here that have raised some eyebrows and some interest from the handicappers, but gee whiz tejanos one of the best horses that's ever run at Canterbury Downs one more than a million dollars last year as a two-year-old first two-year-old ever to win more than a million dollars on the track. He hasn't won a race this year, but he's had four solid seconds three of them in his last three races in high quality stakes races. He's won more than 200,000 bucks this year. Good-looking Colt got a lot of early speed and you can carry it to and he's used to running around to turns his jockey acento Vasquez is one of the best in the business. He's been on a couple of, Kentucky. Winners, and of course his trainer is Dewayne Lucas man that I think even the Casual racing fans know something about after well what's happened with the Triple Crown this year and he's was I say, oh you had The Winning Colors, of course the Filly the won the Kentucky Derby and of course they got in that great big brouhaha in the Preakness and everything and a quaint Lucas. He just a Wisconsin guy. He's been out there running around for the last decade or so trying to make a living as a thoroughbred horse trainer. He's done well for himself. He's only led the country in wins for the last five years tejanos one of his better ones. And that's the horse that I think everybody's gonna be looking at in the st. Paul Derby tomorrow afternoon mentioned later on in the hour. We hope to talk to Dean Koontz who's a leading writer at Canterbury Downs. He shows up for work out there at 12:30 is on his way to the track right now and in my 12:30, they have to be in the jockeys room an hour before first post time and so with any luck, we'll have Dean with us and coming up here in just a second. We'll get to canterbury's publicity director Chuck Sanger hooked up on the phone that we give you the phone number for your calls with your questions about Canterbury Downs in the same folder be whatnot. Two two seven six thousand is our phone. Number two to seven 6000s it Chuck clear your throat. You want to sound good on the radio here? Well Chuck, how you doing? Very good. Thanks. And you (00:04:59) we're hanging in there were keeping (00:05:00) busy. Well, maybe you can give me some some backstretch Derby news. I know you were there at the crack of dawn this morning going along through the barn area to see what what the Derby hopefuls are looking like today any news to (00:05:09) report Yeah. Well, yeah, I was out here at the crack of dawn. I gotta sleep for about two days next week, but everything's everything's going according to schedule. No, no injuries. Nobody's dropped out. It looks like a field of 10. I don't know how much you've told the folks about the about the field so far, (00:05:26) but well I went on a great length about Tejano just to kind of go on record as saying that I don't think he was going to catch him. (00:05:32) Well, it's I'm not in the business of picking them. That's that's your (00:05:35) job. That's why that's why you have to work for a (00:05:37) living. That's right. Of course a lot of a lot of the local favorites is will go to Blair's Cove. Hmm. Who is the is the accomplish a number of things in his brief career? Not the least of which is he's the only Minnesota bread ever to win a Stakes race outside a Canterbury Downs (00:05:56) and for people that they're still getting a grip on his business these these stakes races in the st. Paul Derby is one that's kind of the highest highest form of racing in that they called a Stakes race because every owner puts up a steak every owner has to put money into the pot to get into the thing. So as a result you you tend to see by far the better horse is going into these races. (00:06:13) Oh, that's for sure and Blair's Cove won. He won the Bashford Manor Stakes at Churchill Downs and its first time ever on the racetrack. Actually that's not accurate, but it was in his first race race. Yeah, and and that's that's unusual for any kind of horse much less a horse. It was bred in a state that didn't even have racing for years (00:06:32) ago was - this horse was born in 1985, which was the year Canterbury open and I suppose he was actually fold before there'd been a race run at the track is most horses are born in the spring and you didn't open up until June that (00:06:42) yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, here's a horse that was bred for one reason and one reason only and that's to race at Canterbury does and and it's in the with the number of breeders supplements. They have in Minnesota bread races, you know and whatnot. And now he's going to run in the in the biggest race of state has the same Paul Derby. I think it's an example of the way the industry has really taken (00:07:02) off. Yeah. I don't think people have a grip on this. I think people who aren't big racing fans of probably heard in news accounts that you hear the buzz word. I guess the breeding industry the Minnesota breeding industry, but if you look at that a little more closely on one of the arguments for this this business having a racing track in Minnesota has been that If you can generate the breeding business where people are raising Thoroughbred racehorses, there's a lot of money involved there and a lot of money that comes back to the state in the form of income taxes property taxes. All you know, all the kind of stuff. They buy Minnesota supplies feed and stuff like that. And and now that we're in the fourth year of Canterbury, we're starting to see this Minnesota breeding industry actually amount to something and one of the ways in which Canterbury encourages it is by having extra purse money available for Minnesota bred horses to win horses that are born in Minnesota and Blair's Cove has been in the by far the most prominent of those so far (00:07:54) that that's true. And of course there's a Minnesota Brett bonus in the st. Paul. It's $100,000 bonus to which is split split up 60 25:15, I believe and so if Blair asked over to win the say Paul Derby he get an extra 60 thousand dollars in addition to the a hundred though a hundred eighty thousand that goes to the winter. So maybe pick up a check at $240,000 if he wins this (00:08:21) race that's quite an incentive to have your horse born in Minnesota. That's right. And that literally was the story with where's Cove I understand the horse was what's the clinical word conceived in Florida and they literally put his mommy on an airplane and she came up here in the horse came out and they went back (00:08:36) home. That's the way I understand (00:08:38) it all now ideally a for the point of view of the state economy down the line somewhere. These horses are going to be based full-time in Minnesota and all that stuff but though you got to start somewhere and I think blares Cove is opening some people's eyes to the kind of financial opportunities. There are in the breeding business. (00:08:52) Oh, he sure isn't there and they're just glancing at some of his past races. For example, he ran in the derby trial handicap at the fairgrounds in New Orleans and he was beaten 11 lengths by a horse named risen star. I've heard of him and there and there are there are there were some awful night sources in the Belmont Stakes at got beat by risen Star by more than 11 (00:09:15) lat as matter fact the second place where it's got beaten morning Elena listener and the Belmont (00:09:19) that's right. So he has being against the get the best and he's been running real (00:09:24) credibly, you know blares Cove is coming off a couple of a couple of nice wins this month against other Minnesota breads at Canterbury. I saw the race that he ran just a week ago last Sunday out of the Downs that he just kind of cruising along and then on the far turn he kicked it into overdrive and about four steps later. He had that race in hand wasn't really tested but on the other hand, he wasn't really pushed. He's going up against a whole nother kind of horses Chuck here in the st. Paul Derby tomorrow. What do you really think his chances of running with the likes of Tejano and some of these other horses is (00:09:51) of course, we really won't know until tomorrow. I spent a little time with Jim Green blares Coves trainer and and I said, we / really don't know how good this horse is he's of course, he's beaten the other Minnesota breads easily. Like you mentioned the race last Sunday the land alone steaks which not only it was against Minnesota breads, but he was running against older horses. Hmm an important distinction to make that is very early in the year for three-year-olds to be running it. Older horses. Yes it is and and he just skipped by a horse named Stillwater Billy at the quarter pole and Ronnie Holland Junior that Jackie never never touched him never went to his Whip and he won by three and a half lengths. And when that when I asked Jim about the about the the horses he's going to be running against tomorrow. He mentioned the Risen Star Race to and he said he said I really don't think that the pace is the hot pace is going to surprise him because he was running a Gulfstream Park and in a Calder and Florida which which in the wintertime has you know, the finest racing on the East Coast you bet and so again your you just have to wait and see but he certainly is a handsome-looking cult. He's he's put together and he can run we just willful will find out a lot tomorrow about just what kind of or C. (00:11:13) Is. He listening this portfolio here on ksjn 1330. I'm J.G. Preston Chuck's hanger from Canterbury Downs is with us on the line right now the st. Derby set to go 5:40 p.m. Tomorrow afternoon at Canterbury $300,000 plus to be distributed in purse money at the end of the race with a hundred and eighty thousand dollars plus going to the winner has some questions about Canterbury the Derby whatever 2276 thousand I got my Sunday Racing Form open. I'm ready to take on all comers here 2276 thousand the number to call here on sport folio Chuck. Maybe you can give us some idea as to how early the process starts for the st. Paul Derby. When do you actually start trying to solicit horses to run say in this this 1988 st. Paul Derby tomorrow. (00:11:55) Well, actually Our racing department will start working on that sort of thing during the winter. There's a real there's a complicated procedure that owners have to go through to nominate their horses for the race that I won't get into but basically time canoe start who is our director racing and racing circuit. Terry will go in January thereabouts and he'll try and solicit nominations from some of the top two year olds in the in the nation. And of course last year and that's where Tejano came from last year Tejano was I mean a lot of people felt he was the finest two-year-old and training (00:12:37) and I think if you had told the Wayne Lukas last year that he was going to win his first Kentucky Derby this year. He figured to Hannah was gonna be the horse to do it. (00:12:44) That's right. I don't know if you mentioned this earlier but he is the only horse ever to earn a million dollars as a two-year-old. Yeah. Hey, you're the million one point almost 1.2 million dollars is a two-year-old. And so that that's the the first job that time canoes faces early in the early in the year January February there about tries to solicit nominations from the best two-year-olds. You can find (00:13:08) and they actually put up a little bit of money for this. Yeah early on. (00:13:11) Yeah, and then when the Triple Crown Trail begins to take shape the Florida Derby the flamingo those types of races, then they start soliciting nominations from them. For example last year crypto clearance when the Florida Derby and he ended up running here and he the Florida Derby was really when he emerged as a major three-year-old this year a horse named Brian's time when the Florida Derby and as soon as he won the Florida Derby banging nominated to the st. Paul Derby, these guys will nominate to a lot of the for basically all the major three-year-old races around the country and then depending on how the horse comes up or what their plans are and then they'll make a choice about where they're going to go. All right. Now a lot of the leading three-year-olds are have been turned out in our waiting for the Travers Stakes which is a million dollar race at Saratoga in (00:14:06) August turned out to they're just going to plan around in the pasture right now. (00:14:09) Yeah, because the Breeders Cup really really gave a whole another twist to the sort of thing because now there's a lot of the a lot of the owners of the major three year olds will have their eyes on that Breeders Cup Classic in November, which is going to be a Churchill Downs this year and and the three million dollar purse. Whoo. And so that's a so people leave a million six hundred thousand goes to the (00:14:31) winter. Ooh so becomes kind of a long year and they've got to take a break in there sometimes, you know, Chuck you might talk a little bit about the process of getting this particular race established. It's funny. It's just the third year. You've had a Saint Paul Derby and and I think it's already perceived by a lot of Horsemen as being the important race for three-year-olds between the the Belmont Stakes and the end of the Triple Crown and then coming up in the middle of August the the Traverse At Saratoga New York, which is just a race rich with the story tradition. But in those two months in between in just 3 years. This race is really established itself as the the premier race on the (00:15:04) calendar. It really has it's a great. Eight races are graded by the Jockey Club Board of handicappers and the great majority of stakes races in the country are not graded. They don't raises the races that are great at are giving grades a 1 2 or 3 and there's roughly 200 races in the United States out of the thousands and thousands and thousands of steaks that are run it every year. There's about 200 who are grade 1 or 2. Hmm and the say Paul Derby is one of (00:15:37) those. I mean, I look around at some of the other races this time of year like last week. They had the Ohio Derby at this will down near Cleveland that's a raise they run for years and years and years and they've managed to increase its person everything else but it still doesn't seem to have the law right now that st. Paul does. (00:15:52) Yeah. I know Chris Lincoln who's in town for ESPN. Mentioned to me yesterday he was doing a little research and Santa Anita which is is generally considered to be the finest racetrack in the nation. It's the finest in terms of statistics the most successful and they they opened in the in the nineteen mid 1930s and they didn't the they didn't run a race with a person $300,000 until 1978 (00:16:23) as a little what time lag (00:16:24) there Canterbury does in their second year. Mmm-hmm. And but of course we couldn't have done it without the help of the various the various corporations in st. (00:16:35) Paul at the real unique deal because it's not just one you see some of these these titles sponsored race where there's one company or whatever this putting up a great big pile of money to have a race named after it the Saint Paul Derby. There's there's what there's 10 different companies that kick (00:16:49) in Period. (00:16:56) It's (00:16:57) the same outfits at do it. BCE development is one company. That's sponsors the say Paul Derby and Harold brand who's the head of that at operation used to live in Louisville, huh? And he's a great great fan. He was out of the in the barn area a couple a couple days ago and people like that really well when you get them involved in the game, they really get a certain kind of enthusiasm about it and they're the ones who allow us to put up this kind of a person attract these kinds of horses it, you know, starting in the only our second (00:17:35) year, you know people who don't really spend much time following the races probably don't have any kind of a feel for it, but I try to spend some time paying attention to the racing world and I can tell you the Saint Paul Derby has made a splash. I mean within the business of horse racing. It's made a name for itself quite quickly. (00:17:49) Well, it sure has there's been a number of number of fine horses of running it just just Thinking back the broad brush who was finished second in the first st. Paul Derby in 1986. He went on to accomplishing a number of things not the least of which was winning the Santa Anita handicap, which is a million dollar race out of Santa Anita and he really made a name for himself crypto clearance. Of course, when the Florida Derby Bachelor bow, who's a great one winner. He ran in the first steep Alderman you can just go on and on (00:18:28) and the horse that won your Derby last year Lost Code who many people thought was maybe the best horse in training (00:18:33) last year. Yeah. Yeah. Geez. How could I forget lots? Of course, he went on to he's been doing very well this year and he's running in the Massachusetts handicaped at Suffolk Downs. I believe that races today. Mmm, and he's going to run against I don't know if you've heard what the fields like J.G. But the last I heard it was going to be lost code what quite a fleet and crypto clearance (00:18:55) Earth are some runners in that (00:18:57) one and a fleet. Of course is Canada's Champion three-year-old last year won the Pennsylvania. Derby was a real late. or and And a crypto clearance, of course, most of the public is familiar familiar with and that's a lot of code is G. He's on a roll he ran second about twice and beat Ali Sheba in the Pimlico special not too long ago. And he won the Oakland handicap beat crypto clearance in a horse named Gulch. Hmm who's one to Metropolitan miles, which is the top one of the top handicap races in New York. And so so he's really from from my standpoint from a publicity standpoint, you know horse like that is invaluable. (00:19:40) Sure. Chuck's Anger from Canterbury Downs is our guest down this portfolio here this afternoon and a little bit later on. We hope to be talking to jockey Dean Koontz from Canterbury 2276 thousand is the number to call with your horse questions to to 76 thousand 23 minutes after 12 o'clock here on ksjn 13:30. Well Chuck we mentioned earlier that Tejano the favorite for the st. Paul Derby tomorrow is trained by Wayne Lukas be nice to have waned back at Canterbury because the first year you were opened. B5 he actually kept a pretty good size table horses out here for the season didn't (00:20:12) he? Well that was in 1980. (00:20:14) In 86 he was here. Okay, (00:20:17) that was at a time when he had stables and every major race track in the country today. He's sort of Consolidated and he he has three divisions. He has one in New York one at Monmouth Park, which is located in Oceanport, New Jersey and one in Southern California. And then he ships everywhere (00:20:37) else. You know, it's funny. There are a lot of horses out there running with the trainer Dewayne Lucas and the program on their name, but he's not physically with him. How many horses does he have in training under his name right now? (00:20:49) Oh boy. I (00:20:50) don't want to we're talking hundreds. Pardon me. Are we talking hundreds? Yeah. (00:20:55) Yeah easily way know. He lives he spends most of his time in Southern California, but he has he has horses racing it virtually all over the country all the (00:21:08) time. So he has assistants who are actually in charge at various tracks and then he's in I guess daily communication with them by telephone to kind of plan horses (00:21:14) schedules. That's right. That's right here. Yeah. I wonder where the phone bill (00:21:18) is. I'll bet it's five figures a month has got to be amazing. (00:21:22) He the right now we don't expect him to be here on Sunday. He's in Europe looking at looking at some horses from what I understand to buy some more horses. And that Westar vice president assistant general manager at the Derby draw luncheon yesterday said he needs those like a hole in the (00:21:37) head. Yeah. It's not like Wayne's hurting for good horses. (00:21:42) That's right. But there is a possibility that his son Jeff Lucas or Randy Bradshaw who supervises his stable here at Canterbury Dunson 1986 could be in for the race. I expect to see one of them. (00:21:56) Hmm when the horse actually came in to Canterbury just came with the with a couple of room type (00:22:01) people even with a groom and an exercise (00:22:03) Rider. So I guess that that's kind of interesting right there to see that, you know with a horse clearly as valuable as to ha know that in the racing business is there's kind of quite a bit of a quality here a couple of people you would think would be fairly low down the pecking order entrusted with taking care of them. (00:22:18) Well, I can assure you that the people that these people have way Upmost confidence if he sent all the way across the country with Tejano because he's I mean, he's one of the top pan full of horses Lucas trains. I'd want to say he's probably one of the top two or three horses. He has a training right (00:22:39) now. Hmm as there been much talk Chuck about Lucas keeping a even a small string of horses on a regular basis at Canterbury is he pretty much just centralized locations (00:22:48) now definitely validated a lot. I mean, he doesn't when Arlington Park opens next year there I suppose there's a chance he'll have horses there but it's not real likely and he's he doesn't have he doesn't have a stable in Northern California. So it's it looks like he's just going to I mean if he could have a dose when you say a small string of horses, he could ship maybe he'll ship Five Horses here and point them for various Stakes that are a month or two down the road and then they'll leave and go back to New York or For California and then five more will come in who are going to run and a couple other races and they'll be like that. He'll have a circulation of course is going all over the (00:23:29) country, you know, when you're involved in the in the kind of numbers that that Lucas is involved in and and you start literally racing all over the country just the logistics and the money in those things is mind-boggling to me, but then you need then again you turn around how much money did his the horses are on the track last year how many million (00:23:46) dollars I want to say (00:23:48) 17, but he Christmas and (00:23:51) yeah, he's he's what all trainers and earnings each of the last five seasons. He's one of the clips award the last three years, which is is Raising highest honor. He was honored with an eclipse award as outstanding trainer and he he earned his pay I'll bet the Saddles winners and that's the name of the game. (00:24:13) It's Chucky. Now you you mentioned Arlington Park here a couple minutes ago. And that brings to mind a question. Somebody asked me this week and I didn't have a good answer to Arlington has been kind of the the premier race track in the Chicago area for the last couple of decades. There was a fire at the track a couple of years ago raised the grandstand this year. They're in the process of rebuilding and they're not actually having any racing at Arlington Park this year. What kind of effect does that have has that had this year on the kind of horses. You're going to be getting a Canterbury and and when Arlington reopens next year, what kind of impact do you think that'll (00:24:42) happen? Generally speaking most of the folks around here? Think about that having Arlington open will help us a great deal will give me an entire another Pool of horses to draw from It will make shipping into Canterbury Don's Force takes a lot easier because there will be more more planes coming up into this part of the country. Hmm, and then there will be an awful lot of Shifting going on between Canterbury duns and Arlington will be horses shipping from here to there to run and steaks and coming back and vice versa. (00:25:16) Do you find that a lot of the The Horseman who would normally be running at Arlington in the summer months or are staying in Chicago this year and running at the other tracks? Are you getting some of them at (00:25:25) Canterbury? Well, there are a few here at Canterbury. It's unusual. It's unusual for the for the trainer's to the other two racetracks in the Chicago area are Sportsmen and Hawthorne Sportsman's Park and Hawthorne Park, and it's unusual for them to generally they'll go back east or they'll come here and they'll go to Aksarben and Omaha and maybe a few months ship down in Louisiana Downs. It's unusual for them to stay to stay at the stay in Chicago, simply because Sportsmen author and don't offer the purses Arlington. (00:26:01) I guess the next big influx of horseflesh of Canterbury is going to come here what another couple of weeks when Churchill Downs in Louisville closes for the (00:26:07) summer. That's right Churchill closes. I want to say July 3rd. Yeah, that sounds right and then we expect to get a number of number of stable shipping in for the stay for the remainder of the summer and some writers such as Larry Melanson who has a mountain in the st. Paul Derby (00:26:31) act pretty well regarded coat by the name of classic account. He's riding tomorrow as I (00:26:35) write making just his fourth start and there are a few other Riders who are on the fence. So to speak and likely will come here. I know Pat Johnson's one of the top riders in Kentucky is talked about coming. That sort of thing will all be made clear next (00:26:53) week. Hmm speaking of writers. You got one of the the very best writers in the country at Canterbury today and Pat day. Yeah, we do. He'll be riding in your Canterbury Oaks this afternoon, (00:27:02) right? That's right. And Pat's has been here a number of times. He won the 1985 Chaucer cup here on Taylor special and he really that he really is a you know considered one of the very very best writers in the nation. He's riding a horse named akuaba who is trained by a fellow named Scotty Schulhoff who won last year's Canterbury Oaks would copy on. Oh, he knows what he's doing and he sure does and Pat Dale is as I said, you only consider when I mean they mentioned him in the same breath with Lafitte pink eye and Chris McCarron and in that crew and it should be a lot of fun to see him ride. I know I enjoy it. (00:27:42) Well Chuck Before I Let You Go Dean Koontz is just about set to join us here on sport folio, but I just wanted to ask you about the heat Corsa people can go inside in the air conditioning there at the Back, but what about the horses? Somebody asked me the other day how the the heat affects the horses out there (00:27:55) General? It affects them like any other athlete you have to think about the horses as athletes because that's what they are and just like if you're out playing baseball when it's on and one degrees, that's the same way. It feels for the horses. And actually Dean Dean could probably answer that question better than I (00:28:17) can. He's got that hands-on experience here for the last week. Well great check. I sure appreciate you taking the time and I suppose you probably aren't allowed to bet on the Derby tomorrow. Are you (00:28:27) I'll tell pick a (00:28:28) horse but not till race time. Uh, I'll pick a horse. Okay, but right now you want to pick a horse. (00:28:35) You know what? I'm going to do. (00:28:36) What are you gonna do? (00:28:38) I'm gonna pick foolish intent. (00:28:40) Just because you know cooties listening and he's riding the horse exactly. Well, it's your money Chuck. I hope you can you can turn that into a buku payday. Okay. Thanks very much. Chuck. I appreciate you too Chuck singer from Canterbury Downs our guests here on sport folio this afternoon coming up next. We'll be talking to Dean Koontz the leading Rider at the track and he's got a mount on foolish intent in tomorrow's $300,000 St.Paul Derby. I'm J.G. Preston, you're listening to sport folio on ksjn 1330 Minneapolis st. Paul. Well, good afternoon. This is Mark. I stood I hope you stay tuned to ksjn 1330 throughout the day today coming up at 1 o'clock. Stay with us for the week in review as we take a look back on the week's big news stories at 3 o'clock this afternoon on the new American Gazette Barbara Jordan welcomes as her guest John McLaughlin conservative television program host and then a 4 o'clock this afternoon. It's all things considered from National Public Radio in Washington. That's all still to come this afternoon here on ksjn 13:30. Thank you. Mr. Heisted. J.G. Preston here. The phone is blinking which means Dean Koontz is calling back on the proper line Dean is the all-time leading Rider at Canterbury Downs and is having another great year this season folks if you'd like to talk to real life jockey as his horse questions that have been burning in your brain whether you've been out to Canterbury or not. Give us a call at 2:00 to 7:00 6000 here on sport folio and we'll be happy to tackle your questions to to 76 thousand. We're talking horse racing. We're talking Canterbury Downs with Dean Koontz Dean. It's a real pleasure to have you with us this afternoon. Thanks for taking the time. (00:30:15) It's a little hard to hear. I'm barely barely get Nia. (00:30:18) I'll holler at you Dean. Don't worry about that. I got this i got this Randy Johnson over here to he does Miracles with the technical stuff. So you'll probably ask them to turn it down for it's over. Well Dean it's got to be exciting for you as it is for anybody else involved with his race to have this kind of money on the table tomorrow because you guys get a cut of that when it's all over it said and done with so I know that's got to be a real pump of (00:30:39) adrenaline. Exactly. It's exciting. It's going to be exciting Buster's gamble out of California. There's also one very good at this time and how classic example is coming in from Illinois. Derby didn't reach 10 likes to Papa. Which is not a bad ways for a horse. It's the only race three times and little horse. I ride is name is foolish intent who was outside world will good-looking prospects as a tool. He won the majority of the two yields decreases in Chicago last year and just just hasn't found his wheels this year, but I would look for him. I've been working with him and he looks real good and he's coming up to the racing top (00:31:39) poem. You know Gina, I'd be curious to hear how you get to know a horse because I see you've never ridden foolish intent in a race before. So when did you first get on his back? And then how do you go through the process of trying to be ready to go with the flow of the horse when it gets to be in a big race like (00:31:53) this. He kind of does everything himself. Come out, maybe three days ago, I guess and he did everything so intelligently, and he loves the racetrack, and and I know I know my way around a pretty good as I want a few ways is here and and I would really wear a lot of confidence in a little horse and you strong and and on top of his game right now. (00:32:33) Do you finding that the better the horse you're riding the less you have to know about him the less little funny quirks and stuff. He has that you have to take into account during a (00:32:40) race, you know, if you happen to have a lot of luck on your side out there. Sometimes don't have to borrow have the best horses. If you just get the rope breaks up a little you can capitalize on them like 04. He's using a source and there are some resources in there, but I feel real confident with the mountain (00:33:03) Dean Koontz the leading Rider at Canterbury Downs as my guest on sport folio right now. Feel free to give us a call with questions for Dean at 2276 thousand 2276 thousand our It's portfolio Dean some of the the top writers in the country have come in for the Derby tomorrow has seen to Vasquez who's got the mount onto ha no Alex Solis. The right Milan's on guys are coming from from all kinds of different directions and yet even with some of the horses that are shipping in some of the local Riders are going to be on top. I know Ronnie Allen's got him out on Blairs Cove Mike Smith is up on a horse. I've got to think that just like any other sport. There's a little bit of a home field advantage you guys are comfortable here and you kind of know that the the track and the (00:33:41) surface that's right. What is called is not standing through world what the Minnesota program here. And if he were to happen to jump up and win this race, it's a very big plus for the breeding program and for the racing industry in the state of Minnesota to have a homebred come out and beat these outstanding three-year-old in and T minus 10 is a local horse with many Ortiz board and he's not a bad little horse either. He's been he looked very promising early this year and has run second to First time out here in Scott County steaks back in April the end of April. So, you know, it's it is a pretty good for the home team, you know, we can probably keep the money in town if we get everything go away, (00:34:35) you know, do you know I think people who go down and spend some time around the paddock in the walking ring before a race. They'll see you jockeys often times and varying degrees of closeness and your consultation with your trainers when it gets to that point right before the race. Is there anything really that a trainer can tell you about a horse review? Pretty much gone over all that stuff (00:34:51) before we pretty much go over all that stuff. There are some throughout the race day. They the trainer's watch the races pretty close and they watch your speed is backing up or holding and you know, they might change their instructions a little bit in the paddock, but pretty much it's pretty much good luck and have a safe trip and get to the wire first. It's Unless you know you have not ruled the horse before and have not had time to discuss it with the trainer. They were you know, give you some instructions 222 how they think the horse should run and then you try to follow them to the best that you can sometimes. It doesn't always work out that way because when the gate opens a lot of times you got to make moves out there that you know that you're experienced to do with so it's you know, it's pretty much in our own hands. Once they leave the Starting Gate (00:35:45) typical day like today out of Canterbury Dean ten races, you'll be riding in what seven or eight of those races. Maybe (00:35:51) I've got a right now. I've got about five races today, but I'm I'm holding off till tomorrow because tomorrow's my big day and I'm going to hit the Winner's Circle bunch of times (00:35:58) when you're riding that many horses in one they are there a lot of different things. You have to keep in mind about different horses. I mean, can you ride them all pretty much the same or how do you deal with just the the numbers that you're dealing (00:36:08) with? No, not really. It's it's just something that you know, / I go on to the next one. I'll try you know, you can't think about the past you got to look into the future. It's it's not that tough of a job or experienced to do that when that's our job. So, you know, I love it. It just naturally comes to how to handle it that (00:36:31) situation. I wonder about how you guys get around to the changing clothes. You got to put different silks on from race to race. And and how much time do you have to do it? Not very much, (00:36:39) isn't it? It's pretty limited its after we get done at the in the Winner's Circle. We come back downstairs and weigh in for the next race wash up and try to get the dirt office and get cleaned up and throw another set of silks and have a drink of water and go back out was not be quite as much time or only lot about that the most 10 (00:37:00) minutes. Wow, let's not be so bad is of course, I suppose it's nice to get in the jocks room and cool off a little bit, but I suppose it really starts to show on a rainy day or a muddy day when you really get kind of monkey and sloppy to the course of a race. Probably don't even have time to clean. (00:37:14) Up properly for your Grandpa Max Matt, when it's muddy out there you kind of you know, you just kind of wash off some of the heavy mud off you and then go back and put on clean pair of silks and clean helmets and go back out for another age. (00:37:28) It's been so hot the last couple of weeks Dean. How does that affect the horses and the Riders during the course of the racing day (00:37:34) it affects of horses are quite a bit. It you're more apt to get supper heat strokes and it takes a lot of lot of lot out of a horse it he told you know horse can lose up to 50 60 pounds per week. You know, when it's that hot like it was yesterday, but overall yesterday. We were very lucky. It was a hundred one degrees and you record in Minneapolis here and we have not had any any drastic for any horses really getting hurt yesterday there. They all handle the heat will well and most of all the Riders did too but it does take a lot out of you and nine o'clock at night rolls around you ready for a good night (00:38:19) sleep. We're short night sleep maybe because I suppose you're back on the backstretch at 5:00 5:30 in the morning doing your business (00:38:25) again how exactly they open up the racetrack at a quarter to quarter to 6:00 every morning. So we have to be out there and exercise these horses that are in going to want in the future. So I Start about five o'clock and there will be much to 10 o'clock at night. But there are a few hours in the afternoon where we get a little rough. So it's it's pretty much a long and makes a long day out of (00:38:50) it. They do anything special with the horses either before or after the race Dean as far as doing some things to kind of combat the effects of the Heat. But as far as extra cooling periods or maybe using water and having them soak and (00:39:05) prior to the race as their before they come over to the paddock for the race and it's in when it's as hot as it was yesterday. And even like today some horses will do to take the hose the hose and wash them down and give them a nice shower and everything and kind of get you know, cool off a little bit and then after the race, they just you know, they give them a shower or give a nice bath and then and cool him out after the race and they might give him another bath after that and just just to keep him, you know, they take care of them. They're very talented animals and they need a lot of TLC also. So it they are taking care of just like professional athletes (00:39:43) course, the horse is good to do that. You (00:39:44) don't now we don't get much we don't get enough time in between races to take a shower and cool off for the air conditioning. We get as much cool enough as we can about 10 minutes, or if it isn't too bad for us. It's bad for People have to stand out in that heat is probably harder than on them than it is on Earth. (00:40:03) I guess we're in of the docks that are battling any kind of weight problems. I suppose riding on days like this. You don't need to worry about going in the hot box or anything cause they're (00:40:12) just (00:40:12) jockey Dean Koontz is my guest on sport folio here on ksjn 1330. I'm J.G. Preston have any questions for Dean. Feel free to give us a call at 2:00 to 7:00. 6,000 genes the leading Rider at Canterbury Downs and he has the mount on foolish intent in tomorrow's $300,000 st. Paul Derby. So if you have any horse questions Dean's the guy with the answers to two seven six thousand. What is your normal weight Dean? What do you write it (00:40:53) with my Everything so that that that puts me about a hundred and eight pounds with without my saddle room and my boots (00:41:06) on and then when I go for people who don't know when you're listed to ride on the horses carrying more weight than that, you just put some some lead weights in your saddle right to (00:41:15) make up in it for a paddle lab that's shaped out to fit in your pocket. So it doesn't move and it's it and it's it real tight. So and then we have pads also if there's say a horse has a hundred twenty-five pounds on it and I feel my saddle with weight and still doesn't come up to the hundred twenty five pounds over put an extra pad on underneath it that has pockets for let also (00:41:44) if you weren't riding Dean, is that about what you way (00:41:46) anyway, I keep my wait wait. I'm on a very strict diet time. For those of you who didn't had heard. I would not have had a kidney transplant back in January of 85 and the and one of the things that along with the some I have to stay on a very strict diet because your your when you eat soap for is it I cannot eat salt or sodium free diet and if you eat salt that makes you hold your water and I'm supposed to pass as much and water is I can at all times so salt is very bad for me and I do not eat it and it keeps my weight down to a hundred and seven hundred and eight pounds without having even fight it so it's that's you know, that's how I keep mine down but there are some that have to hit the sweatbox to keep it down. (00:42:32) So and you got your kidney from your sisters there right thing (00:42:35) blackly my sister Kathy very fortunate or very muddled in happy to help me out in a crisis that I was in and they I have 11 brothers and sisters and they are Willing to help but she was the only one that was compatible. So (00:42:50) wow, you only had one choice out of all (00:42:52) those rounds. I think she was a seventh or eighth one tested. They didn't test anymore after her because she was willing to help so (00:42:59) and you grew up out in your Carrington digit. (00:43:01) Yes. I I grew up around. My most of my family is still around that area and it's I don't get home as often as I like you but person this business you have to stay on the road quite a (00:43:15) bit. Amen. We've got a caller on the line for Dean Koontz here on sport folio talking about Canterbury Downs this afternoon. We're going to say Paul. Hi Ruth. Thanks for calling Hi, how are you? Very good. (00:43:26) Listen, I want to know from Dean Koontz. I think he's a good jockey. But every time I bet on him, he loses always a good (00:43:35) jockey Dean. I think Dean gets the signal in the Ruth gets the money down then Dean pulls up on the horse and then (00:43:41) right there. A pro I do my best and you know, I've only I cannot pick him up and carry him. I can only watch (00:43:56) you know, then you get so close to the to the fans at Canterbury whether it's backed by the walking ring or over by the Winner's Circle when you guys are checking out. Do you hear from the fans to hear a lot of specific comments good or bad that you can really pick out from the (00:44:08) crowd around the state and I can honestly say that Minnesota fans are the best that a place that I've ever been to if I have one second or third on a horse that looks like should have have a 1 I get complimented and I get applauded and you know, it's not like a lot of places where you go and you get cursed out and so on so I do have to say that the Minnesota racing fans are probably the best in the country. Battle my heart. I'm going to do my best p+ D. (00:44:50) He's got a lot of money at stake. I don't think it Dean will be pretty lack of trying. Thanks for the call Ruth. Appreciate it. Two two seven six thousand is our phone number here. It's portfolio 2276 thousand and Canterbury Downs jockey Dean Koontz is on the other end of the line for about another 10 minutes before we have to go away. So now Dean you can run here at Canterbury nowadays. We get started here in the springtime and go on through middle of October then what do you do after that? You probably can't afford to take any real time off. You gotta go work somewhere else. I'll (00:45:18) bet ya clean Aaron and Like I say you just have to stay on top of it in this business because there's so many of the riders that can replace you. So after Canterbury Tales is over. I usually go down to Churchill Downs in Kentucky and finish there right there till the first thing to use Ember and then I take a month of December off and and suspended the holidays and so on and do a little hunting after that and then after the first year of the right down to Hot Springs, Arkansas and start right in after and then I'm there till this starts and so it just makes a kind of a triangle type thing. I start in Minnesota or excuse me, I start in Arkansas come to Minnesota and go to Kentucky and then back to Arkansas and Minnesota, Kentucky. So it's it's a nice little bit but I don't have a lot of Mass to travel that way, but I do keep busy but 11 months out of the (00:46:07) Year. Where do you stay when you're traveling from track to track Dina the you actually stay on the track rounds or do you wrap (00:46:13) apartments and I have Mobile home that I told me Hunter tracking and and most places will all three places that I go to do have trailer parks in it within 20 miles of the race track. So it's it it's a lot easier to live that way and it is a packing and unpacking and living in automobiles and and (00:46:37) apartments I bet and you always got a familiar-looking home to go to this 12276 thousand our phone number. We got some callers to get to for Dean Koontz going to South Minneapolis next. Hello, Jake (00:46:47) Hey Dean, I'm from up in your neck of the woods and down here quite a few years. I had one question that I'm never clear. I want a horse is listed as say three pounds overweight is that the horse is at you and exactly how important is it in a race when a horse is overweight if you're going to want to make a bet on a horse or something good Crossing up and listen and good luck today. Guess what? Thank you very much. Okay now everyone when a horse reads like you the weight read the housing 14 pounds in in a Announcer these three pounds over the world. It is the rider that is 3 pounds over not the horse and the the overweights. It has some effect on and in certain and uncertain horses and Phillies especially going around around if they were if they are a little heavier than the others. It's it might have some effect on them, but I found out that if you're on a good another horse, they can carry one of the biggest football players in the country and win so it's not out to me. If you're running with more Force. He's going to get there regardless of what the way it is, but it has some effect in some sense in some cases. Yes. (00:48:00) I do think it's kind of easy to overrate weight after all. These aren't thousand-pound race horses were talking about and I got to think that three or five extra pounds in going to make it (00:48:07) happen exactly. Right, you know (00:48:15) a little bit of lead. That's not going to hurt him Dudu seven six thousand is Phone number Dean Koontz Our Guest on sport folio. We have a caller standing by in st. Paul. Hello, Tom. All right Dean. I have a (00:48:26) question for you is do you see as a Jackie that there's any track bias at Canterbury Downs. I can just barely hear you. I'm sorry. Could you answer (00:48:35) Tom was just talking about the track bias over the racing strip at Canterbury Dean. You see any particular hot spots or dead spots (00:48:44) in the country. I've been like I keep saying is this is cannibal Downs Racetrack. There is none like it is even all the way and our tour of course is also one of the finest I've ever wrote on so there is not the inside outside. It doesn't make any difference. It just it's just a good honest (00:49:06) surface seems like if you break down the the post positions in the winters, they come from all over the (00:49:10) track pretty much the only ones that really don't you don't see a lot of warnings out of his 11 and 12 whole to me. Burn six and a half earlier that all that stretch down the back side. It doesn't really make that much difference. What post position you have go on a flat mile or Mount 16 Mount 16 that starting from the grandstand going that first turn. It might have an effect being on the outside. But you do have an advantage being from the seven hold down from Seven position on down to the water and I think you have a better chance than you know, it will affect you the 12 or 11 or 12 or 10 11 and 12 going to ground but not going (00:49:53) short and there was quite a stretch last year when the the rail seem to be not doing very much a doll is as the rail perked up a little bit this year from which you can tell Dean or do you still try to kind of stay off it when you're riding a (00:50:03) horse? It just depends on I'll myself I just seen a friend neighbor. I'm not going to let anybody get you inside of me. That's you know, I'm going to hold my ground the in the willow is in good shape of an and there's just no bias at all out there. (00:50:19) How is the lack of rain affected the strip out of Canterbury, the the times are have been so fast for last couple weeks. I got to think it's very kind of (00:50:25) bacon cannot keep enough water on it they water it and they water and the water and they just cannot seem to get enough on it and that's causing the bottom of the racetrack to stay a little firmer than it usually is and that's why you're seeing these faster times we need is a good good heavy rain and about A340 rain and I think you know, we'll see our times come back down a little bit to where they're supposed to their little fast right now. We do have a little bit better race horses here this year than we had last year. So it's it's, you know, we do need a good solid rain and word. You know when I Friend against it for the farmers we need to do that as (00:51:09) I mentioned earlier in the hour that I was going to kind of open the st. Paul Derby would be the rain dance. Like it has been the last couple of years with the you got a beautiful day coming up tomorrow. (00:51:17) It sure sounds like this is (00:51:25) how did you get started in writing then you come from horse family. Don't you (00:51:28) putting my father trained horses out here. He started me out when I was younger and I started when I was about six years old and when I was six, I was not writing his big thousand pound horse so I can smell ponies and races and and work my way up to when I was eight nine ten years old. I was riding a through bridge and races around those some tracks around North Dakota's no kidding. I've been in it pretty much all my life and it's just a great great life and I love (00:52:02) it. How old do you have to be to get a license to ride it a regulation? (00:52:06) You do have to be 16 years of age to get a license to be a jockey. I am highly anybody out there would like to become a jockey at how do you recommend him to finish high school and work in the summertime as a stable person to kind of help out and get to know that the business a little bit before you jump right in and and and go to be a jockeys. So it's it's something that it you cannot jump in overnight. It's something you got it. It takes a long time to master it and you never do get up Master. Believe me. I learn something every day. So and I've been out for like I say 16 years professionally and I learned something I'll learn something good today. So it's something that it takes a long time and in a lot of really have to be dedicated to to be a jockey so I recommended the farms and and and come to the racetrack in the summertime. An anorak hats and get to know the business around take three four five years before you even think about being a (00:53:12) jockey really I got to think it's a tough business to get started in because heck you look at a race with ten or twelve horses. And I know there's a lot more than ten or twelve jockeys on the grounds there and you've really got to scramble to get some work. I'll (00:53:22) bet exactly you have to agent which I do with my covers my agent and he does a fine job for us and there are 50 some Riders here on the ground. So you have to have somebody that in the only one twelve horses in every way. So, you know, you've got to have somebody to go out there and find those mounts for (00:53:42) you. How does the new guy get business? I suppose the the weight allowance they give to to brand new writers. I suppose that's a little bit of incentive but still it's got to be tough. Just getting a couple of mounts let alone enough to eat with (00:53:53) well, you know, Mike Smith myself and Manny Ortiz, we are pretty well known around here and we will add the majority, you know of the races, but some Not have not been around here too much. They just have to hang in there and work hard and they'll get there. He'll get their glory to just you know, it just something that they have to you know, pay their dues to get you. (00:54:18) Well Dean. I know you got five races to ride the day and you're going to write a bunch tomorrow before the Derby before I let you go here and you kind of got in mind how the Derby is going to shape up where the early speeds going to be and what kind of race might unfold and what it would take for your horse foolish intent to come through. (00:54:33) We're going to be going to be up there to honours going to be up there and those curves going to be real close to the base. And I'm going to be right close to the pay. So it's going to I thought I hope I'm laying about 42 V and and make my run from 3/8 pull the wire and if I got enough horse at the headline, I'm going to get the job done, but there's going to be a good owner space and and there's been some some horses are going to be coming from back and And it's just going to be a very exciting race and let's hope we can we get the job done. (00:55:11) Well Dean I sure appreciate you taking the time. It was a pleasure visiting with you and I wish you the best of luck. (00:55:16) Take care Dean (00:55:18) Dean Koontz a leading Rider Canterbury Downs. It's build K UT Z case. You're going out there for the first time and wonder who that guy was you heard on the radio Dean Koontz. Terrific guy from North Dakota has been a regular Canterbury for the last four years. Well, my thanks to the people to thank here a su winking our associate producer in absentia David O'Neill who's done some juggling day and also mighty fine pitcher of water you brought in your day, but I really appreciate it and Randy Johnson whose haircut doesn't look so bad. Now that's grown out for a couple of weeks RJ. Thanks very much for handling the boards. I'm J.G. Preston. See you again next Saturday here on sport folio. Your listing the ksjn 1330 Minneapolis-Saint Paul. It's one o'clock Marcus. Dad has the week in review next.