Minn.-Bred Horse Poised to Break All-Time Earnings Record At Canterbury

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Minnesota-bred horse could make history at Canterbury Park.

Hold for More, a 5-year-old thoroughbred, could break the all-time earnings record this season.

The horse barns at Canterbury Park do not have the action of the race track, but ask trainers like Francisco Bravo and they will tell you the stalls are where you see each horse's personality.

"[Hold for More] is a little more cranky," Bravo said.

This horse may be cranky, but Bravo chalks it up to the demeanor of a winner.

"On race day, he's charged up, his ears are pinned back and he doesn't want anyone to bother him," Bravo said

In his third season on the Canterbury racing circuit, the gelding is on the cusp of breaking a long-standing record.

"He's amongst the best in the history of Canterbury, and I think that in itself is special," Bravo said. "At the local level, it's a dream come true. There's a lot of trainers that hope to have a horse like him."

Reaching that title could happen faster than any other record holder, and it does not come down to just the horse's speed.

A 2012 partnership with Mystic Lake and Canterbury Park increased the race purses, allowing horses to rack up the earnings faster.

Hold for More could hit the record in roughly three races with wins, but Bravo is not focused on the potential record.

Every horse trainer knows there are no guarantees in racing.

"You take it one day at a time," Bravo said. "In this sport, you never know what the outcome is going to be."

While the record looms, the sure bet is in the excitement from fans whenever Hold for More takes the track.

"I think the biggest thing is a champion is a champion and they want to win," he said. "They are competitive and when they go to the track, they know they're special."

Bravo was also the trainer of the current all-time winnings holder, Crocrock, who earned the title back in the early 2000s after five years of racing.

He says the key to training a winning horse is patience and a good owner.

Both Crocrock and Hold for More have the same owner.

Hold For More won Saturday's race, putting him just $17,000 shy of the all-time earnings record.