Canterbury Park will host three trials for the $71,300 Northlands Futurity on Thursday's race card.

© Coady Media

By Louanne Wainscott/Stallionesearch

SHAKOPEE, MN–AUGUST 5, 2025–Thursday evening’s card at Canterbury Park will continue with three action-packed trial heats to the $71,300 Northlands Futurity Finals, set for August 21, 2025. A total of 24 promising two-year-olds are entered across races three through five, all looking to post one of the ten fastest times of the night and punch their ticket to the prestigious final.

Trainer Jason L. Olmstead commands the spotlight with 15 of the 24 runners, including some of the most accomplished juveniles on the grounds.

Headlining the first trial heat is the undefeated filly Nme 123, installed as the 2-1 morning line favorite. A $42,000 Heritage Place Sale graduate, she broke her maiden sharply, then followed with a dominant 1½-length win on July 21 in an allowance for non-winners of two. With $16,740 earned from just two starts, the daughter of Flying Cowboy 123 and On Nyx (by Kiss My Hocks) was bred in Texas by Tykhe Racing, LLC and is owned by Tom Maher.

Trainer Tyler Stein sends her out from post six with Angel O. Ramirez aboard.

Also in this heat is the MQHRA Futurity winner, Ur Favorite Tio, who enters fresh off his impressive $57,000 stakes victory on July 10. From four starts, the Uncle D gelding has earned $27,610 for owner Tom Maher, who purchased him for $31,000 at the Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale.

Bred in California by Shaun Hubbard, Ur Favorite Tio draws post three for trainer Jason L. Olmstead, with Gonzalo R. Valles, Jr. in the irons.

Trainer Jason L. Olmstead sends out all four top morning line favorites in the second trial, including the experienced racer Relentless Effort, who is the one to beat.

Despite still being a maiden, Relentless Effort qualified for the $209,000 Prairie Meadows Gold Futurity earlier this summer, bringing class and seasoning into this spot. The daughter of Hes Relentless and Corona Habit was a $67,000 Heritage Place Sale purchase by Tom Maher.

She’ll break from post three under Armando Alvidrez, with stablemates poised to challenge: #2 McGreggor (2-1) – a gelding by Hes Relentless, promising and competitive; #8 Sophey (5-1) – another filly with potential, sired by FDD Dynasty; #6 Shes Got This (6-1) – daughter of Hes Relentless, well-meant and improving.

This heat may be the deepest of the night, with five stablemates vying for top qualifying times.

In the third and final trial, eyes will be on Holliewood, the hard-knocking filly who ran second in the MQHRA Futurity Finals behind stablemate Ur Favorite Tio. Like Nme 123, she’s one of only two in the trials to post two career wins already.

By Hes Relentless out of Apollitical Mogul by Apollitical Jess, she was bred in Oklahoma by Tom Maher and races for Tom and Bill Maher. She will break from post four under Armando Alvidrez for trainer Olmstead. Expect her to use her stakes experience and closing kick to secure a place among the final ten.

With $71,300 on the line in the final and a strong mix of unbeaten fillies, futurity winners, Thursday night’s Northlands Futurity Trials are shaping up to be a pivotal moment for the region’s elite juveniles. The top ten fastest times across the three trials will advance to the Northlands Futurity Finals on August 21.

The Canterbury Park Races can be watched on Q-Racing Video.
 

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