Shakopee, MN  --  The 15^th annual Minnesota Festival of Champions, held Sunday, Aug. 10, at Canterbury Park, featured nine stakes races, seven for thoroughbreds and two for quarter horses, plus two additional turf allowance races. Purse money for the 11-race program was more than $415,000.

Mac Robertson, Canterbury’s leading trainer, ruled the day with five wins. His first came in the $50,000 Minnesota Sprint Championship with Sir Tricky for owners Joni and Barry Butzow of Eden Prairie, MN. Derek Bell rode the winner.

Robertson and Bell teamed up again in the $60,000 Northern Lights Debutante with Chick Fight for Jeff and Deb Hilger’s Bleu Valley Farm. The third win came in the $50,000 Minnesota Distaff Sprint Championship with a gate-to-wire run from Christopher West and John Mentz’ Thanks for the Tip under jockey Dean Butler.

Four-year-old Suddenly Silver, owned by Art and Gretchen Eaton of Randolph, MN, won the $50,000 Minnesota Classic Championship with Bell aboard. This was Robertson’s first victory in the Classic.

The day’s final race, a $22,950 allowance, accounted for the fifth win as favorite Sahm Sweetheart, ridden by Paul Nolan, cruised to victory.In other stakes results, C C Tat won the $50,000 Minnesota Turf Championship for trainer Dougie Huntington and owner Kent Huntington of Owatonna, MN. C C Tat, claimed earlier in the meet for $10,000, was ridden by Lori Keith. Ice Rocket, at odds of 51-1, won the $60,000 Northern Lights Futurity for trainer Todd Hoffrogge. This was Hoffrogge’s fourth Futurity win.

Ice Rocket is owned by Astar Lindquist Stable and was ridden by Glenn Corbett.Pretty as a Smile, ridden by Nik Goodwin, won the $50,000 Minnesota Distaff Classic Championship. She is trained by Gary Scherer and owned by Jeff Zlonis of Grant, MN.The $22,750 Minnesota Quarter Horse Futurity went to the favored Call Me Mr Nibs. The 2-year-old, owned and bred by Rodeny Von Ohlen of Alpha, MN, is trained by Edward Ross Hardy and was ridden by Tad Leggett.

Jockey Helen King and Okey Dokey Irish jumped quickly from the starting gate in the $23,550 Minnesota Quarter Horse Derby. The duo was never challenged and drew off to win by one and three-quarter lengths in 20.41 seconds. The 3-year-old gelding by Okey Dokey Dale was bred by Paul Knapper, and is owned by Tom Pouliot of Loretto, MN. Trainer Ralph Haglund had four entered in the Derby but Okey Dokey Irish proved best.

The Festival Day crowd of 8,382 wagered $295,376. An additional $359,822 was wagered off site on Canterbury’s races.