Wally’s Choice, with over $427,000 in career earnings, is closing in on Blair’s Cove’s all-time record of $533,528 for Minnesota bred race horses.   Owned by Wally and Joyce McNeil, and Canterbury Park Board Chairman Curtis Sampson, the horse will race at Canterbury Park on August 20 and September 3, and in November will race in Oklahoma.  Wally, known to many as “Wally the Beerman,” said if his horse remains healthy the earnings record may well be broken before the year ends.

Involved with ownership for 11 years, McNeil said there was no predicting Wally’s Choice would be such a success story.  “You never know with any horse how good it’s going to be.  He’s got a big heart (Wally’s Choice is a come from behind performer).  He’s one of those freaks, a once in a lifetime type of horse.”

It’s a crap shoot to predict whether a horse will become a winner but Wally’s Choice’s granddad, Storm Cat, sure has credibility.  The Kentucky based Storm Cat earns $500,000 when he sires a live foal.

A rivals.com fan poll asked respondents to select the greatest football players at various colleges.  With 83 percent support Bronko Nagurski was easily the popular choice among former University of Minnesota players.  Darrell Thompson was a distant second with less than 20 percent support.

Thompson, the Gophers all-time leading rusher in career yards, mentioned many past Gophers who might have drawn support, including Kent Kitzmann from Thompson’s home town of Rochester.  “It’s amazing that people would think of me,” Thompson said.

Kitzmann rushed 57 times in one game for the Gophers as they defeated Illinois in 1977.    Kitzmann and Thompson are among the school’s famed running backs including Laurence Maroney, Marion Barber (father and son), Paul Giel, Bob McNamara and Heisman Trophy winner Bruce Smith (the subject of a Hollywood movie).

As for Bronko, he merely made all-American at three positions, end, tackle and fullback.  In 1929 he was named all-American at both tackle and fullback, becoming the first player to ever achieve that distinction. 

Thompson said the Gophers have had “Cadillac” runners in the past but now with Maroney and Gary Russell gone since last season, and Barber having left for the pros after the 2004 season, the talent level has obviously dropped. …

Russell is not playing this season but will he enroll at Minnesota in January to regain his eligibility? …

Matt Spaeth has been named a second team pre-season all-American by Street and Smith’s college football magazine. …

Sports Illustrated was here to write about Joe Mauer for the current issue cover story.  Coverage included a stop at Canterbury Park where Joe’s grandfather Jake sells his tip sheet. …

You wonder how long Mauer will be a catcher.  With the physical demands of catching, his effectiveness as a hitter probably could be extended by moving to another position.  With his athleticism and size, he might be a nice fit at third base. …

Maybe pitching phenom Matt Garza will join the Twins this season but it’s no secret the team seems concerned about moving him to the majors when in 2006 he has already pitched at three minor league levels including AAA.  “One thing you don’t want to do is hurt his arm,” manager Ron Gardenhire said on his WCCO Radio show.