Wally's Choice Among Four for Canterbury HOF
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Wally's Choice, a graded stakes-winning Minnesota-bred, is among four new members in the Canterbury Park Hall of Fame's class of 2015.
Joining Wally's Choice to be inducted in a Sept. 5 ceremony are state veterinarian Dr. Richard Bowman, former jockey Tad Leggett, and Minneapolis Star Tribune sports reporter Rachel Blount, the Canterbury Park Hall of Fame committee announced Aug. 31.
Wally's Choice, a homebred raced by Canterbury Park chairman of the board Curtis Sampson of Hector, Minn., in partnership with Wally and Joyce McNeil of Plymouth, Minn., is third in all-time earnings at the Shakopee, Minn. racetrack and raced through age 10, winning 15 of 59 starts and earning $508,125. The Quick Cut gelding won consecutive editions of both the Minnesota Classic Championship (2004 and 2005) and the Blair's Cove Stakes (2005 and 2006) and also won the 2004 Minnesota Derby, all at Canterbury Park. Trained throughout his career by Michael Biehler, Wally's Choice became one of four Minnesota-breds to win a graded race by capturing the 2004 Oklahoma Derby (gr. III) at Remington Park.
Bowman has been a Minnesota Racing Commission veterinarian since 1986. He is best known among horsemen for operating Bowman's Second Chance Ranch at his cattle ranch in North Dakota where he has provided a temporary refuge for hundreds of retired racehorses. Bowman assists with finding new homes and second careers for those horses.
Leggett was the leading Quarter Horse jockey each season from 2003 to 2006 and is second in all-time earnings and third in wins. Blount has covered horse racing for the Star Tribune since 1995.