The live Thoroughbred meet took place at Century Mile Racetrack and Casino in Nisku from May 4th through the Alberta Breeders’ Fall Classic races on September 14th. The meet then moved down to Century Downs Racetrack and Casino from September 21st to November 3rd.
With Big Hug shining as the star stakes winner at Century Mile, the dominance of Alberta-bred horses at Century Downs, winning all but one of the stakes races, really underscores the strength of the local breeding program.
The Mr. Big filly BIG HUG was the first Alberta-bred to capture an open stakes race in the season with her win in the black-type $50,000 R.K. Red Smith Handicap on July 12th. Big Hug went on to have more success with subsequent wins in the Alberta Fall Classic Distaff Handicap, the $50,000 CTHS Alberta Three and Four Year Old Sales Stakes and the Lynn Chouinard Founders Distaff Handicap. The 2023 Champion Alberta Three-Year-Old and 2022 Champion Alberta Two-Year-Old finished her impressive season with a record of six wins from eight starts and $171,953 in earnings for the year. The multiple stakes winners now has 13 career wins and $444,715 in total earnings for her owners Empire Equestrian and Kerredge Farm. The CTHS Alberta sale graduate was bred by Chalet Stable and sold through the 2021 sale for $2,759 to her current owners.
ITSALLGOODMAN completed the race meet at Century Downs with a win in the CTHS Alberta Sales Stakes for Three- and Four-Year-Olds. The 2023 Champion Alberta-bred brought his career earnings to $190,991 with a record of four wins and three seconds from 12 starts. The Speightster gelding was consigned to the 2022 CTHS Alberta sale by breeder Stone Ranches and purchased by Curtis Landry for $17,387.
JODEYS LIL PAIN captured the $50,000 Alberta Sire Debutante Stakes on October 20th at Century Downs Racetrack and Casino. This race is for three-year-old fillies by a stallion that stood in Alberta for the 2020 breeding season. The Cape Canaveral runner placed second in the Alberta Oaks before getting the win to finish out her season. Jodeys Lil Pain now has two career wins and $94,643 in earnings. The CTHS Alberta sale graduate was bred by Roy Robert McClintock and sold for $1,890 to current owners C and H Duggan Farms.
The $50,000 Alberta Sire Stakes for three-year-olds by a stallion that stood in Alberta for the 2020 breeding season was also held on October 20th and was won by the Alberta-bred DONTBRINGMEDOWN. The Saturdaynitelites gelding finished his first season running with a record of 5-2-2-1 and earnings of $66,501 for breeder and owner Perry Pellerin.
HOLIDAYS AGAIN finished off his debut season with back-to-back wins in the $50,000 CTHS Alberta Two-Year-Old Sales Stakes on October 5th and the black-type $50,000 Birdcatcher Stakes on October 26th. The O’Prado Again gelding completed his two-year-old season with a record of 6-2-1-2 and $81,131 in earnings. Holiday’s Again was consigned to the 2022 CTHS Alberta Sale by breeder C.W. Matier and sold to Tallie Racing for $13,350.
The Fed Biz two-year-old filly NO MORE LIES had an outstanding season, winning consecutive stakes at Century Downs in the $50,000 CTHS Alberta Two-Year-Old Sales Stakes and the $50,000 Freedom of the City Stakes on October 26th. The two-year-old added these two wins to an earlier win in the Sturgeon River Stakes on Alberta Breeders’ Fall Classic day to finish her season with $117,539 in earnings and a record of four wins and a second from five starts. No More Lies was bred by Bushido Stables and sold through the 2023 CTHS Alberta sale to Stetson Inc, Stetson, Ryan, Stetson Enterprises Ltd. and Everblack Cattle Co. Ltd. for $29,666.
The 2024 Alberta Breed Improvement Program offered owners over $500,000 in incentives for Alberta-bred runners competing in qualifying open races. Additionally, the CTHS (Alberta Division) introduced an exciting enhancement to the 2024 Sales Stakes series, featuring a 25% bonus for owners of Alberta-bred horses who placed in the top three (win, place, or show) in the October 5th CTHS Sales Stakes. This significant bonus underscores the value of investing in Alberta-bred horses, further strengthening the industry’s motto: “Owners of Alberta-breds earn more!” With increased earnings opportunities across the board, this initiative continues to encourage owners to support local breeders and trainers, making the stakes higher than ever.
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