Bernell Rhone & Dean Butler Sweep MTA Stallion Auction Stakes
She’s Better Loud Takes the Lassie; Rustic Road Wins the Laddie
Shakopee, MN - August 22, 2010 - On Sunday at Canterbury Park, two $25,000 stakes races for 3-year-olds were featured on an eight race program. The Minnesota Thoroughbred Association Stallion Auction Lassie and Laddie Stakes were both run at six and one half furlongs on a fast main track. Leading jockey Dean Butler and trainer Bernell Rhone dominated both events as She’s Better Loud won the Lassie and Rustic Road won the Laddie.
She’s Better Loud was sent to the lead by Butler and challenged by Downerbythemeadow until the stretch, when She’s Better Loud drew off to win by eight lengths in 1:18.06. “I just needed to get her to the front. She doesn’t like to get dirt in her face. All I did was hang on,” Butler said. She’s Better Loud, betting favorite, paid $2.40 to win. The daughter of Bravo Bull, bred in Iowa, is owned by River Ridge Ranch (Sandra Rasmussen) and has earned $110,819 in purse money.
Butler and Rustic Road battled with Gold Country Cat until the top of the stretch in the MTA Auction Laddie before pulling away to win by four lengths in 1:16.36. “All I had to do was wrangle him down and relax and when I saw [Juan] Rivera coming through, I didn’t have to do much. He’s a nice horse, all class” Butler said. Rustic Road, by Demidoff, is owned by Curtis Sampson. He paid $3.00 to win.