Canterbury Park announced Feb. 5, the 2026 Thoroughbred stakes schedule for its 51-day race meet that runs May 23-Sept. 19. The schedule includes 23 stakes and named allowances totaling $1.1 million in purses.
The 33rd Minnesota Festival of Champions, an evening of racing dedicated to horses bred in the state, will be held Sept. 5. The Northern Stars Turf Festival, with four turf stakes including the Lady Canterbury, Canterbury Derby, Brooks Fields Stakes, and Curtis Sampson Oaks, will be held June 27. The Curtis Sampson Oaks, at a mile on the turf for 3-year-old fillies, will be conducted as a stakes this year with a $50,000 purse after being run as a $30,000 allowance last season.
Additionally, the Victor S. Myers and Frances Genter, traditional preps for the Minnesota Derby and Minnesota Oaks, were run as allowances in 2025 but will return to stakes status with $50,000 purses July 26. The $75,000 Derby and Oaks will be run Aug. 15, along with the Wally's Choice allowance and Glitter Star allowance, which both have been changed in distance from 1 1/16 miles to 7 furlongs.
Stall applications and the first condition book will be available the last week of February. Purses will remain consistent with the 2025 season. The stable area, which holds 1,070 horses, will open May 1, with the main track scheduled to open May 8 for training.
Canterbury Park and the Minnesota Racing Commission are collaborating to cover costs associated with Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority regulatory fees so that those costs will not be passed on to racehorse owners in 2026.
For additional information about the racing season, thoroughbred stakes, and stall application, visit https://www.canterburypark.com/horsemen/.
Racing will be conducted primarily on Thursdays and Saturdays at 5 p.m. CT, and Sundays and holidays at 1 p.m. Additional race dates include May 25, July 3, and July 22, and Sept. 16.
View the full schedule here.
