Thealligatorhunter wins 10,000 Lakes Stakes; Retired Kathy prevails in Lady Slipper
Pete Mattson, a prominent owner and breeder of thoroughbreds in Minnesota, won a pair of $50,000 stakes races Saturday at Canterbury Park. Thealligatorhunter raced gate to wire in the 10,000
Lakes, a six-furlong sprint restricted to horses bred in Minnesota. Later in the program Retired Kathy charged from off the pace to win the Lady Slipper, also at six-furlongs and restricted to state-bred fillies and mares, giving Mattson his first win in that stake.
The remainder of the four-horse field in the 10,000 Lakes chased in order throughout the race but could not catch Thealligatorhunter with Distorted Pro finishing second by 3 1/4 lengths, odds-on favorite Doctor Oscar, also owned by Mattson, third and last year’s 10,000 Lakes winner Sir Sterling fourth. North Arm Bay was scratched.
Seven-year-old Thealligatorhunter has now won 13 times at Canterbury and is fourth all-time in earnings at the Shakopee, Minn. racetrack with $439,354 in purses. He is trained by Tim Padilla who co-owns and co-bred Thealligatorhunter with Mattson. Constantino Roman rode the winner, covering the distance in 1:10.32 and returning $9.40 to win.
“He loves this track,” Mattson said. “This horse has a lot of heart.”
Retired Kathy, ridden by Chad Lindsay and trained by David Van Winkle, paid $9.60. The 4-year-old filly and winner of last year’s Minnesota Oaks was bred by owner Mattson. Thundersrocknroll, who battled on the lead through quick fractions outside Carson Bay, held second a length behind the winner with O’Babe finishing third. Final time of the Lady Slipper was 1:10.60.
Retired Kathy (pictured above) raced in last early in the five-horse stake before kicking in with a quarter mile to go.
“I was just waiting for the move,” Mattson said. “Then you saw it and you knew something good was going to happen.”
Handle for the eight-race card was $1,009,634.
