Canterbury Park is a horse racing track located in Shakopee, Minnesota, USA. It runs a meet that consists of 69 racing days from early May to Labor Day, generally holding scheduled races Thursday through Sunday, with racing added on several holidays throughout the meet. The track itself features a one mile oval dirt track and a seven furlong turf course. Outside seating is available along with several indoor seating options. The track runs multiple food stands and bars throughout the building and simulcast betting is also offered.
Canterbury Park has hosted the Claiming Crown of horse racing for nine of its eleven years since its inception in 1999.
The park also includes a card club. The poker room has 34 tables and spreads games of primarily Texas Hold'em. The facility is open 24 hours per day, with simulcast racing year round and the card club. A movement to add slot machines and video poker to the mix has been active for several years but has been met with some opposition. The so called "Racino" concept is still on the drawing board and little action was seen on the issue during the 2006 legislative session.
Canterbury Downs was founded by Walter Brooks Fields, Jr., and other investors. According to David Miller of the Daily Racing Form, "Fields, along with his nephew Brooks Hauser, formed Minnesota Racetrack Inc. after a constitutional amendment allowing parimutuel wagering on horse racing was approved by Minnesota voters in 1982. Naming Santa Anita as its primary partner, Minnesota Racetrack Inc. was awarded the state's first racetrack license by the Minnesota Racing Commission and the facility in Shakopee held its first race on June 26, 1985. The introduction of the state's lottery and the widespread growth of casino gaming at Native American-hosted facilities in the area saw Canterbury Downs business repeatedly fall below revenue projections, and the track was sold in 1990 to Ladbroke Racing PLC."
In 1990, Canterbury was bought by Ladbroke Racing Corporation and was renamed New Canterbury Downs. In December 1992, it closed its doors after a disastrous live racing season that saw an enormous drop in attendance. In late 1993, Canterbury was bought by Irwin Jacobs, who quickly sold it to Curtis and Randy Sampson. Shortly after the sale, the Sampsons worked to revitalize Canterbury, so that it reopened its doors to simulcasting, and it quickly removed itself from debt. In late 1994, Canterbury carried through on a promise to return live horse racing to Minnesota. In January 1995, Canterbury Downs officially changed its name to Canterbury Park.
As of April 2009, the Canterbury Park poker room spreads $2/$4, $3/$6, $4/$8, $6/$12, $8/$16, $15/$30, and $30/$60 limit Texas Hold'em. $4/$8, $6/$12 and $10/$20 Omaha hi/lo. 7-Card Stud in various limits and hi/lo options. By state law, $60 is the maximum bet allowed, and No Limit Texas Hold' em is not spread as a cash game, but weekly tournaments that occur on various days as well as Sit-n-Go tournaments.
Canterbury Park observes the forward moving button rule for cash games, wherein players must always post their big and small blinds in order regardless of the position of the button. As per the Tournament Director's Association rules, tournaments are run with a dead button.