Canterbury Park opens meet with strong entries; sports-betting bill stalls but ADW funding for HISA may survive budget talks

Canterbury Park opened its 2025 live racing meet with higher-than-expected entries and heavy interest from trainers, the Minnesota Racing Commission heard May 19.

Amber Simpson, a Canterbury Park racing representative, told commissioners “Racing starts on Saturday,” and that the track had received nearly 1,200 stall requests this season. Simpson said 646 horses were already on the grounds and 67 trainers had requested stalls; opening-weekend cards averaged more than eight horses per race, she said.

The crowding of entries is significant for a meet that, Simpson and other presenters acknowledged, faces lower overall handle and purse levels than in recent years. Steve (Canterbury Park racing staff) told the commission the 55-night meet is expected to pay more than $6.4 million in purses, a figure he said is slightly below last year’s total but close to prior levels.

Why it matters: heavy entries and a deep jockey colony can strengthen on-track product and betting handle, while stable and facility improvements affect trainer decisions to ship to the meet. Canterbury officials said a higher-quality jockey pool and improved backside facilities should help the season’s viability even as some revenue streams remain uncertain.

Officials described several facility and development items at the track. Simpson and other Canterbury speakers reported that backside construction is winding down after two years of work, a new 31-space RV park is open, and a restaurant/music venue called the Boardwalk and Stables is expected to open in mid-June. Track officials also said the planned outdoor amphitheater’s opening has been delayed to next year; a large concert originally expected there has been moved to the football stadium as a result.

Canterbury also announced a memorial race for Roy Johnson scheduled for June 21, on the track’s Northern Stars Festival day. The commission heard that the track will finalize the race number after entries are set.

Local hiring and marketing: Canterbury confirmed that Jennifer Lauerman has been hired as vice president of marketing after work at the Mall of America and event marketing projects. Simpson said Lauerman began this week and will focus on building the track’s promotional calendar.

Legislative and revenue context: Canterbury and commission staff briefed commissioners on two divergent outcomes at the State Capitol. Commissioners were told a proposal to legalize and regulate sports betting failed to advance this session and “never even got through one committee,” as Canterbury leadership described it, despite industry and tribal participant negotiations. That bill’s sponsors had proposed licensing and revenue provisions that Canterbury officials said likely would have materially boosted on-site attendance and industry revenue.

At the same time, commission staff reported that language to send additional account wagering (ADW) revenue toward the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) appears in the conference committee’s budget package. Mr. Gustafson (MRC staff) said, “It does appear that the ADW language to help fund HISA is going to be part of the budget,” and that, if the conference committee and final budget keep the provision, the commission would see new revenue streams available for regulatory costs.

Track operations and community programs: Speakers described several community- and family-oriented programs on the backside. The Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) continues a staffed childcare/education program for grooms’ and trainers’ families; commissioners heard anecdotally that about 50 children use the program and that it has produced positive employment and education outcomes for former participants.

Commission discussion and questions focused on how long the current lower handles and purse levels might persist, whether the new venues would complement — rather than compete with — Canterbury’s concert schedule, and how ADW/HISA budget language would change the commission’s finances if it is enacted.

Votes at a glance: A motion to approve the minutes from the April MRC meeting was moved by Melanie, seconded by Goodman (and later Johnson was noted as having seconded as well). Commissioners vocalized “aye,” and the chair declared the motion passed. Exact vote tallies were not specified in the record provided to the commission.

What’s next: Canterbury officials said they expect entries to continue filling during the first weeks of the meet and to monitor handle and purse levels as the season progresses. Commission staff said they will follow conference committee and any special-session activity to confirm whether the ADW/HISA language remains in the final budget.