Special Occasion opened a four-length lead through an opening quarter in :23.92 and earned an eight-length debut win in a maiden special weight race on Friday at Canterbury Park to become the first winner for freshman sire Sam Lord’s Castle.

Trained by Tim Padilla for Larry Cronin and Two Dimes Racing, Special Occasion completed 3 1/2 furlongs in :41.22 on a track rated as fast.

A ten-year-old by Carson City out of Grade 2 winner Private Treasure, by Explodent, Sam Lord’s Castle stands for $1,500 at B & D Thoroughbred Farm in Hayfield, Minnesota. A half brother to stakes winner Golden Locket, Sam Lord’s Castle has nine two-year-olds in his first crop.

Grade 3-placed multiple stakes winner Sam Lord’s Castle concluded his racing career in 2003 with six wins in 16 starts and $334,083 in earnings. Sam Lord’s Castle earned his first stakes win in the 2000 Victoria Stakes at Woodbine for trainer Josie Carroll and also won the ’01 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds. The bay horse finished second in the ’00 Sugar Bowl Stakes at Fair Grounds and the ‘01 Lafayette Stakes (G3) at Keeneland Race Course.