Canterbury Patrons, Staff Happy To Return

Bloomington resident Tim Rogers didn’t mince words about the ponies returning to . 

“I’m so happy they’re back,” said Rogers, who joined several thousand horse racing enthusiasts on July 21. Canterbury was closed throughout the 20 days of the Minnesota state government shutdown—12 of those days without scheduled races.

Jeff Maday, Media Relations Manager at Canterbury Park, has concerns about both the short- and long-term affects of the shutdown on the facility——but patronage isn't among them.

“There was disbelief it actually happened,” Maday said of the park's closure. “Could you actually shut down a racetrack which was financially healthy because of a state budget problem? It was a disservice to the state and the people who work here.”

“I’ve been dying to get back out there,” said Rogers. “I’ve really missed the horse races. A lot of my friends feel the same way.”

A crowd announced at 6,504 was there on this particular Thursday evening. More than 1,000 Canterbury workers also returned to the track, happy to be earning a paycheck again.

About 25 horses were taken by their owners to race in other venues in Florida and Arizona during the shutdown, Maday said.

“It’s not easy to pack up and leave, and owners tend to be loyal. They (the owners) held on as long as they could," Maday said. “The confidence level in Minnesota racing was shaken a little. If we hadn’t been able to open when we did, we would have reached the drop-dead day quickly.”

Canterbury officials have been meeting with horse owners to see whether they can add racing days in August extend the season into September, to make up some or all of the lost races. The track’s normal season runs through Labor Day.

"Most (owners) were planning on leaving after Labor Day,” Maday said. “We need the horses to stay here."