Canterbury Park Racetrack Horse Racing

About Canterbury Park Racetrack

Canterbury Park is known as "the home of the long shot" and the name fits. If odds were to be placed on a horse racing track achieving high-level success, Canterbury Park would not have been a favorite. Sitting on 355 acres in Shakopee, Minnesota, the track has had a turbulent financial history, which reached its lowest point in December of 1992 when it was closed. After reopening, the track has been so profitable it has been commended by Forbes Magazine and Fortune Small Business.

The racetrack opened in 1985, three years after voters approved an amendment to legalize pari-mutuel betting in Minnesota. Originally called Canterbury Downs, it was Minnesota's first racetrack and remains the only one in the state. In 1986, the track recorded a promising total in processed wagers - almost $135 million. The next few years were rocky, however, and led to the track being shut down.

In May of 1994, Canterbury Downs re-opened for simulcasting, with a portion of revenues set aside for purses to help fund the return of live racing. Two months later, Canterbury Downs became one of the few publicly held racetracks, making it debt-free for the first time. Later in 1994, the track fulfilled its promise to return to live racing when it announced a 51-day meet from May 19-August 19, 1995.

In January of 1995, the track's name was changed to Canterbury Park. With more than 306,000 visitors to greet the return of live racing to Minnesota, Canterbury showed a profit. Two years later, Canterbury Park entered into special market racing and is now billed as the country's premier facility for snowmobile racing. The track expanded on this idea of diversifying its entertainment offerings when it hosted its first major concert in August of 1997. The all-female concert tour, Lilith Fair, drew 32,000 people to the Canterbury Park infield, the largest attendance of the tour and a record crowd for the track.

Gubernatorial candidate Jesse Ventura held his election night victory party at Canterbury Park in November of 1998. After the stunning upset, more than 2,000 people arrived at midnight on election night to wish Ventura well. It was then that the national media portrayed Canterbury Park as "the home of the long shot".

In 2000, numerous landmark events took place at the track, including the opening of its first Card Club, which offers wagering on unbanked card games. In addition, the track held its inaugural Claiming Crown, which produced a record handle and attendance. In 2001, the park was chosen by Forbes Magazine as one of the 2000 Best Small Companies in America. Two years later, Canterbury was named to the Fortune Small Business list of America's fastest-growing small companies, landing 19th on the list.