If there is truly strength in numbers then trainer Jason Olmstead has the upper hand in Thursday’s $71,300 Northlands Futurity at Canterbury Park. Olmstead qualified six of the 10 finalists through trial races held Aug. 7 for the 350 yard race for 2-year-olds. But to win his sixth Northlands, Canterbury’s richest quarter horse race, Olmstead will have to beat the fastest qualifier, Ding Dang Dulce trained and owned by Haley Hobbs.
Ding Dang Dulce won his trial as the wagering favorite, beating the Olmstead trained Ur Favorite Tio by a head. Fernando Fonseco-Soto has the return mount on Ding Dang Dulce who has won two of five starts including his maiden debut March 16 at Remington Park. He was disqualified from a third win July 12 at Prairie Meadows after drifting out across the field.
Hobbs purchased Ding Dang Dulce by Dulce Sin Tacho for $10,000 at the 2024 Heritage Place Yearling Sale. “I took a risk. He was by a first-year sire,” she said. It took time to realize that she might have a quality racehorse. “At first, he would buck the rider off in the mornings. Then in his training race he went perfect,” Hobbs said. Ding Dang Dulce has earned $41,310. “I more than tripled my investment so it worked out.”
Ding Dang Dulce drew post position four for the Northlands with Ur Favorite Tio one stall over in the five post. Ur Favorite Tio is owned by Tom Maher who also owns the third fastest qualifier Nme 123 trained by Tyler Stein.
The nine-race program includes the $42,300 Canterbury Park Quarter Horse Derby with Hobbs and Olmstead again represented. Olmstead, seeking his third consecutive Quarter Horse Derby win, trains half of the 10-horse field including fastest qualifier and winner of the 2024 Northlands Futurity Relentless Rocket owned by Maher. The 3-year-old is undefeated in four starts at Canterbury with an overall record of six wins from 14 races. Ramiro Garcia has the mount.
Hobbs will saddle two in the Derby, the maiden My Heart My Dynasty and Minnesota bred L Conejo, winner of the North Star State Derby in May. She owns both. Fonseco-Soto rides L Conejo.
The second fastest qualifier to the Derby was Venetian Cowgirl trained by Fernando Manriquez. The filly, who will break from post position one, won her trial in a final time .05 seconds slower than Relentless Rocket who has post two. Stein has one Derby qualifier as does trainer Rigoberto Guillen.
The Northlands will be run as the fourth race and the Derby as the third preceded by two overnight quarter horse races. The fifth through ninth races are for thoroughbreds. Racing begins at 5:10 p.m. Thursday is promoted as Two Buck Night with $2 admission, domestic tap beer and soda along with 2 for 1 hot dogs. More information can be found at www.canterburypark.com .
