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Congratulations 🎉On Thursday night at Canterbury Park, Sheza A Sugar Momma drew away to win the $29,500 North Star State Futurity (R) by two lengths under 16-year-old Ryder Olmstead, son of winning trainer Jason Olmstead. The younger Olmstead recorded his first career win June 8 at Prairie Meadows and his first stake win tonight at Canterbury Park. Sheza A Sugar Momma was bred by Summer Run Inc and is owned by Tom Maher and Paul Ludemann. She entered the Futurity with one start, a second in a maiden race at Remington Park on May 22.

“She did everything right her first start other than win,” Jason Olmstead said. “Got outrun by a horse that had more experience. We were pleased with her first out and thought if she could run that same race or improve just a little bit that she’d be double tough here and it worked out.”Sheza A Sugar Momma broke alertly and quickly put a length and a half on the field as the proud father looked on.“Pretty cool feeling,” he said. “It’s as fun as when I got to ride ‘em so I’m glad he’s getting to do what he wants to do.”Ryder was a bit less loquacious. “I don’t even know what to say. It was fun,” he said.The victorious filly was favored in the field of nine 2-year-old Minnesota breds and paid $2.80 to win with a final time of :15.997 for 350 yards. Haley Hobbs trained the second and third place finishers Dead Game Zoomie and Superona ridden by Gonzalo Gutierrez. Meleys was fourth, followed by EOS Hey Bucko, Jessapoliticalcandy, One Sweet Lil Lady, KO For KJ Lady and Iza B Slick. Sheza A Sugar Momma is sired by Hes Relentless and is out of the PYC Paint Your Wagon mare Candy Coated Paint.Photo by Coady Media ... See MoreSee Less

Jason Olmstead loaded for North Star State Futurity and Derby Thursday at Canterbury Park

Olmstead’s 16-year-old son Ryder seeks first stakes win Shakopee, MN - The Olmstead name has become synonymous with quarter horse racing over the past decade at Canterbury Park. Trainer Jason Olmstead has won the training title 11 consecutive seasons becoming the all-time earnings leader with $4,783,169 in purses and second all-time in wins, making 248 visits to the winner’s circle. Olmstead’s wife Amber Olmstead, née Blair, also a multiple graded stakes winning trainer earlier in the 2000s, won 63 races at Canterbury, seventh best in track history. While the horses do not run under her name, Amber oversees the New Mexico division of the Olmstead operation that includes more than 100 horses in training across four states. Now add to the roster Ryder Olmstead, the 16-year-old son of Amber and Jason, who began his career as a quarter horse jockey in March. He recorded his first win June 8 at Prairie Meadows riding an Olmstead trainee. “I’m glad I got to do it for my mom and dad,” Ryder said. The young Olmstead spent many summers in the family shedrow at Canterbury, dreaming of being a jockey. “I wanted to be a jockey since I can remember. It’s all I ever really wanted to do.” Thursday he will have the opportunity to win for the first time at Canterbury Park and his win first career stake race, riding all four quarter horse races for his father including the morning line favorite Sheza a Sugar Momma in the $29,500 North Star State Futurity and second choice Sophey in the $29,000 North Star State Derby. The 300-yard Futurity is a nine-horse field of 2-year-old Minnesota-bred maidens, three trained by Haley Hobbs, two each by Olmstead and Tyler Stein, and one each by Vic Hanson and Ed Ross Hardy, Canterbury’s all-time winningest quarter horse trainer with 367 victories. Sheza a Sugar Momma finished second in a maiden race at Remington Park May 22 earning the highest speed index in this field. The daughter of Hes Relentless is owned by Tom Maher and Paul Luedemann. Olmstead has trained the North Star State Futurity winner in three of the five renditions.“I hope this filly fires the same race she did at Remington Park,” Jason Olmstead said. “She’ll win if so.” Both parents plan to be at Canterbury in hopes of seeing Ryder’s first stakes win. The North Star State Derby field of eight state-bred 3-year-olds is led by Olmstead’s Spicy Cartel with Armando Alvidrez aboard and Sophey who is winless in seven starts. Del Cartel, trained by Hobbs, finished second in last year’s North Star State Futurity beating both Olmstead horses and will be ridden by Gonzalo Gutierrez. Racing begins at 5 p.m. on Thursday. Contact: Jeff MadayCanterbury Park Media Relations952-292-7524jmaday@canterburypark.com ... See MoreSee Less