Meeting at Canterbury More Like a State Fair

Minnesotans are a different breed at the race track.

They may not bet much, but neither do they boo as much as most railbirds.

That’s why Canterbury Downs is in a class by itself.

The mile oval, 25 miles southeast of Minneapolis, gave the state its first taste of parimutuel wagering when it opened June 26.

And by the time it closed Oct. 15, track operators knew they had a winner.

“Our ownership was very optimistic before we embarked on this, and they’re even more so now,” said Stan Bowker, Canterbury’s vice president and general manager.

“We know it’s going to take time,” he said. “We’re still very encouraged that the crowds have been good. We know we’re on the right track.”

Though opposed by politicians and anti-gambling lobbies, Canterbury Downs opened less than two years after Minnesotans overwhelmingly voted “yes” for thoroughbred racing in a referendum.

The track was hurriedly constructed and ready for racing three days ahead of schedule. It expected, as a research firm had predicted, to average 10,500 patrons who would bet $1.2 million a day. Not quite.

After one week, per-person betting was paltry $50. But by closing week it had risen to $105.57, still far below the national average of $120.

Attendance, though, far exceeded expectations with an average daily crowd of 13,163 during the 83-day inaugural meet.

“What we expected when we started out--and it proved to be true--was that people basically wanted to have a good time,” said Bowker, who came to Canterbury Downs from Ak-Sar-Ben in Omaha, Neb. “Word of mouth has been our best advertising.”

Patrons, however, were not typical, cigar-smoking loners who scanned the Daily Racing Form. They were families; children 17 and under were admitted free with an adult. It was more like a state fair.

Even jockey Bill Shoemaker, who rode in the Canterbury Oaks Stakes on Sept. 28, noticed the difference.

“The people here are very nice. They don’t boo. Maybe they haven’t picked that up from other tracks yet,” he said.

Still, Minnesotans didn’t hesitate to complain if something bugged them, particularly the seating--a problem officials didn’t anticipate.

“Horse players usually stand during a meet day,” Bowker said, “at most tracks, you figure four people for every seat. We have almost 5,000 reserved seats, so we didn’t think there’d be any problem. But people here are used to having a reserved seat at sporting events. They’re willing to pay for it and they want it.”

He said construction plans call for a 50% addition to the grandstand if warranted by business. There also are plans to glass-in and air-condition the clubhouse.

Perhaps the biggest change planned for next year is increasing the meet’s length to include three different types of horses.

“You’re always concerned about the number of parimutuel days on your calendar,” Bowker said. “We don’t know what the ideal number of days for us is yet. But we’ll have three different breeds going, and that should change the clientele a little. It will be an educational challenge for us, too.”

On April 25, a 95-day thoroughbred season will begin. That will be followed by 10 days of quarter-horse racing and then a 53-day harness meet.

“Are you telling me it gets cold in Minnesota in November?” Bowker asked jokingly. “Sure, weather could be a factor in our success in November.”

Another factor may be Canterbury’s ability to attract top horses. With its late-June start this year, the track brought in many horses from Churchill Downs, which ended its season shortly thereafter. The track won’t have that luxury next year.

“We’ll have to compete and recruit, just like a football coach, in the off-season,” Bowker said. “What we have going for us is a track surface that many people think is the best around and a growing attitude that this is a fun place to be.”