Canterbury Park's 2025 horse racing meet will begin May 24 under an agreement approved Thursday by the Minnesota Racing Commission.

The Racing Commission approved a 51-day horse racing season in 2025, concluding Sept. 20, as proposed by Canterbury Park. That's three days shorter than in 2024, with racing starting a week later and ending a week earlier.

Most racing will be on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays; starting times will be 5 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays and 1 p.m. on Sundays. Post times for the final week of live racing will be 4 p.m.

Thursday racing will be scheduled on six dates: July 3, 10 and 24, Aug. 7 and 21 and Sept. 18; it will begin at 5 p.m.

The 2025 schedule will include a nine-day break from racing, from July 14 to July 22.

The shortened schedule was agreed upon by track management and the Minnesota Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association, which represents thoroughbred racehorse owners and trainers.

The expiration in December 2022 of a decade-long deal with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community is tied to the shorter meet. It led to a large drop in Canterbury's purse fund in 2023 and to lessened betting interest because of small race fields.

The 2024 meet ticked up, with a 13 percent increase in betting handle and a 13 percent increase in thoroughbred field size over 2023.