Century Mile in Alberta Opens Sunday With Eight-Race Card

Alberta Thoroughbred racing returns, without spectators, Sunday June 21, the fourth major Canadian racetrack to get live racing back following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eight races have been scheduled for the mid-afternoon card at Century Mile in Nisku including a fascinating maiden allowance race, race 8, with 12 entrants. Among those is IRISH TRICK, a first-time starter for Mitch Klimove and trainer Tim Rycroft, who has been working in blazing fashion this spring.

The track races Friday and Sunday and thus can share jockeys with Assiniboia Downs, which has had some of Alberta’s top riders competing at its meeting which began May 25.

Stakes schedule and story from Terry Jones below:

JONES: Jockeys in short supply as horses set to open Century Mile

More from Canadian Thoroughbred:

Wicked! Ryan Brewster’s Only Horse Stuns Autumn Stakes

Four-year-old colt Wicked Django had been hinting in graded stakes races all season and he finally got his pace set up on Saturday

Woodbine Saturday: Longer Autumn Stakes Take 2, and Patches

The re-scheduled Autumn Stakes (G2) had its distance changed for this year from 1 1/16 miles to 1 1/8 miles.

Heritage Series: Van Arem’s Junior Hot Shot Aims for Points Prize

Dr. Van Arem and family's homebred 'hot shot' tries a distance in the Lake Ontario and Little Teddy has won the filly division points prize.

Apricot Valley, Van Arem, Highfield Among Keeneland Buyers

Over the nine days of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, Canadians bought mares to bring north to foal.