On a day that featured four stakes races worth nearly a quarter of a million dollars, Ruthville stole the show in front of a crowd of 8,259 fans at Canterbury Park Aug. 4, winning the $100,000 Lady Canterbury Stakes as a part of the track's second annual Fillies Race for Hope (VIDEO).
Ruthville sat off of a suicidal pace set by local hopeful Rare Sunset, then challenged along the inside in mid-stretch. The 6-1 upsetter in the field of five inched away to a one-length victory under jockey Dean Butler for her first stakes tally.
Grade I winner Hooh Why, a lifetime earner of more than $1 million that would have been favored, was scratched.
The winner is trained by Michael Stidham and owned by Arthur B. Hancock III. Ruthville completed the mile in 1:37.45 over a turf course listed as good to defeat post time 13-10 favorite Bryan's Jewel. The runner-up was 6 3/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Zaphyra.
Ruthville, who was making her stakes debut after shipping in from Arlington Park, returned $15.40 to win. She boosted her career totals to 4-1-1 in 11 races with earnings of $144,252.
Bred in Kentucky by Payson Stud, the 5-year-old bay mare is by Afleet Alex out of the stakes-winning Ruthian, by Rahy.
The victory gave Stidham a sweep of Canterbury’s two richest races this summer. Last weekend, he shipped Hammers Terror to Shakopee and captured the inaugural running of the $161,250 Mystic Lake Derby.