With three weekends of racing already lost to the government
shutdown, Tom Metzen could wait no longer. The president of Canterbury
Park's horsemen arranged for some trainers to make a quick road trip to
Iowa on Saturday, where the Prairie Meadows racetrack had agreed to host
seven races for Canterbury's idled thoroughbreds.
Metzen happily canceled the caravan Wednesday morning when the
shutdown ended, allowing Canterbury Park to resume its season Thursday
night. His next task will be to meet with Randy Sampson, president of
the Shakopee track, to figure out how to fill the gaping hole left by
the cancellation of 12 racing days -- including some of the biggest
draws of the summer. Canterbury already has added extra races to this
week's four cards, and Sampson said he likely will try to extend the
season beyond its scheduled end on Labor Day.
Sampson estimated that Canterbury lost $3 million in revenue during
the suspension of live racing and the 20-day shutdown of the track's
card club and simulcast wagering.
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