Hard-knocking Car Keys overcame the influx of highly-priced and royally-bred runners this year at Assiniboia Downs to take home the big hardware, HBPA Horse of the Year.  Car Keys, owned and trained by all-time leading trainer Gary Danelson, finished the season with four wins, two seconds, and one third in eight starts, making $62,845.

A 9-year-old son of Maria’s Mon, sire of 2001 Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos, Car Keys worked his way up the ladder this year starting in optional allowance company to a win in the R. J. Speers Memorial Stakes.  He then came second in the season’s grand finale $75,000 Gold Breeders’ Cup to Alberta invader Tejano Trouble.

At only 2-years-old, Eight By Ten crowned himself Manitoba-bred Horse of the Year with convincing wins in both the CTHS Sales Stakes colt division and the Buffalo Stakes.  A son of Tiger Trap – a stallion standing in Alberta – Eight by Ten is trained by Lise Pruitt for owner Dr. Betty Hughes.  Eight By Ten was bred by Frank Johnson.   

The top winners for 2007:

CTHS awards are presented to the Breeder

HBPA awards are presented to the Owner

CTHS Manitoba-bred Two-Year-Old Filly & HBPA Two-Year-Old Filly

Bella Mariella – Owner: Larry Falloon & Garry Naherniak, Trainer: Martin Drexler, Breeder: Larry Falloon

This year’s winner of the CTHS Sales Stakes filly division and third in both the Frank Arnason Sire Stakes and the Buffalo Stakes in only three starts is very deserving of top honours for 2-year-old fillies.

CTHS Manitoba-bred Two-Year-Old Colt

Eight By Ten – Owner: Dr. Betty Hughes, Trainer: Lise Pruitt, Breeder: Frank Johnson

The winner of almost $50,000 in his four starts, Eight By Ten never missed the board including a fourth placed finish to HBPA Two-Year-Colt Mikayla’s Baby in his first start.

 HBPA Two-Year-Old Colt

Mikayla’s Baby – Owner: Aaron Sayler, Trainer: Aaron Sayler

Undefeated in four starts, Mikayla’s Baby dominated this category.  Improving as the distance got longer, Mikayla’s Baby enters the 2008 season the next local favourite for the Manitoba Lotteries Derby.

 CTHS Manitoba-bred Three-Year-Old Filly

Shooting Astra – Owner: Larry Carter, Trainer: Emile Corbel, Breeder: Stonyfield Farm

A winner early in the year at the very competitive Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas for other owners, Shooting Astra was claimed by Larry Carter and brought back home.  Shooting Astra won the R. C. Anderson Memorial Stakes and later finished third behind older horses in the Distaff Stakes. 

HBPA Three-Year-Old Filly

Polynesian Kitty – Owner: Bradley Butcher, Trainer: Jamie Ness

Migrating North from Prairie Meadows in Iowa and Canterbury Park in Minnesota to Assiniboia Downs proved to be very beneficial for connections of Polynesian Kitty.  She won three races including the Assiniboia Oaks and the crown jewel for the ladies, the $75,000 Matron Breeders’ Cup, against older horses.

CTHS Manitoba-bred Three-Year-Old Colt

Command Thunder – Owner: K5 Stable, Trainer: Aaron Sayler, Breeder: K5 Stable

Command Thunder was the easy winner of this year’s J. W. Sifton Stakes and went four of six in the top two.

HBPA Three-Year-Old Colt

Weather Warning – Owner: Shyman Farm, Trainer: Martin Drexler

The wire to wire winner of the Manitoba Lotteries Derby, Weather Warning surprised everyone and gave trainer Martin Drexler and owner Shyman Farms their first ever Derby victory. 

CTHS Manitoba-bred Older Mare

Hurri Coin – Owner: Luxiana Farms, Trainer: Chad Torevell/Randy Gray, Breeder: Luxiana Farm

Winner of CTHS Manitoba-bred 3-year-old filly last year, Hurri Coin hit the board in each of her seven starts this year including a second place finish in both the Manitoba Maturity and the Distaff Stakes.

HBPA Older Mare

Culpeper Moon –   Owner: Shyman Farm, Trainer: Martin Drexler

The winner of this year’s Winnipeg Sun Stakes, Culpeper Moon went on to represent Manitoba in the City of Edmonton Distaff where she finished second to Monashee, a winner of 11 straight stakes races in Alberta and British Columbia and a finalist in the Sovereign Award for Older Mare nationally.

CTHS Manitoba-bred Older Horse

Brinello – Owner: Dr. Ross McKague, Trainer: Carl Anderson, Breeder: Dr. Ross McKague

Brinello was the easy winner of the Agassiz Stakes and almost wired the field in the Gold Breeders’ Cup before finishing third behind Car Keys and Alberta invader Tejano Trouble.

HBPA Older Horse

Car Keys – Owner: Gary Danelson, Trainer: Gary Danelson

Car Keys was the winner of four this year including the R. J. Speers Memorial before finishing second in the $75,000 Gold Breeders’ Cup. 

CTHS Sports Horse of the Year

Sam Scratch – Breeder:  Doug Mustard

Awarded to former racehorses bred in Manitoba, the CTHS Sports Horse of the Year awards the accomplishments in a horse’s second career.  Sam Scratch, going by the name Slingshot, is the two-time champion of the Open Indoor Eventing class at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto.  In 2007, and now 14-years-old, Slingshot beat out Canadian Pan American Games team member Phillip Dutton and his horse Risk Taker.  Indoor Eventing is a two day competition that features multiple runs over a 15 obstacle course with traditional show jumping fences interspersed with cross country obstacles.

Breeder of the Year

This year there was a tie between Phil Kives’s K5 Stable and Dr. Betty Hughes

Stallion of the Year – Circulating, owner:  Cam Ziprick

Broodmare of the Year – Miss Tenacious, owner:  Dr. Ross McKague

 

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