There is an empty stall in veteran trainer Tom Rycroft’s shedrow at Nisku’s Century Mile racetrack with American Blaze’s name on it. But whether the horse, who was named Alberta’s Horse of the Year and champion three-year-old at Friday’s Night of Champions, will use it is undecided.
“American Blaze is currently training at Churchill Downs in Kentucky with Brian Lynch,” said Lethbridge’s Terry Hamilton, who owns the now four-year-old with Murray House.
The five year old son of Medaglia D’Oro, WITHOUT A SONG, will stand in Cold Lake, Alberta. Alberta
Without a Song raced for two seasons and had one win, one second and two thirds from eight starts with earnings of US $24,198.
Medaglia D’Oro is a multiple graded stakes winner of over $5.7 Million including the G1 Travers Stakes and the G1 Whitney Handicap. Medaglia D’Oro is a leading sire with 26 career G1 winners and 55 career $1 Million plus sales horses.
Western Canadian Derby Series Returns with some additional incentives
Joining forces once again, Assiniboia Downs, Century Mile, and Hastings Racecourse are set to deliver another
powerhouse racing program with their combined Derby series during the 2024 racing season.
The second year of the newly named Western Canadian Derby Series comprises the prestigious $125,000 Manitoba
Derby, scheduled for August 5 at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg, Manitoba; the renowned $200,000 G3 Canadian
Derby at Century Mile in Edmonton, Alberta on August 24; and the highly anticipated $125,000 G3 BC Derby at
Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver, British Columbia on September 14.
Leduc, Alberta – 2023 Alberta Thoroughbred Industry Award Winners Celebrated 50th Night of Champions
The Lancaster Ballroom at the Royal Hotel in Leduc was packed on the evening of May 3rd as over 150 Alberta Thoroughbred breeders, owners, trainers, fans and backstretch people gathered to celebrate the achievements of the industry last season.
Master of Ceremonies Ken Gee started off the awards program with greetings from Horse Racing Alberta CEO, Kent Verlik, who emphasized positive news for the industry.
Complete list of winners from the 50th Anniversary of the Night of Champions celebrating the achievements of the Alberta Thoroughbred industry in 2023.
Opening Weekend/ Kentucky Derby Experience!
Limited tickets available! Join us in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Kentucky Derby.
Don't miss the excitement taking place on Saturday, May 4th in the suites at Century Mile Racetrack and Casino. V.I.P. access tickets are $55.00 plus GST each and include access to the suites, program, appetizers. Premium access tickets are $70.00 plus GST and include tables against the glass, betting voucher and one drink ticket per person.
Limited tickets available.
Please call the CTHS Alberta office at 403-229-3609 or email cthsweb@cthsalta.com to book your tickets.
The CTHS Alberta is pleased to announce that Mr. Curtis Stock will be the recipient of the 2023 Ken Cohoe Lifetime Achievement Award at the Night of Champions. The Ken Cohoe Lifetime Achievement Award is to reward lifelong personal involvement and contribution for the love of the Thoroughbred.
Save the date!! RSVP deadline is now Friday, April 26th.
Come out and celebrate all the accomplishments of the Alberta racing industry in the past season. It's the 50th Annual Night of Champions on Friday, May 3rd and we're celebrating with a "Shake, Rattle and Roll; Fabulous 50s Party!"
Please RSVP by Friday, April 26th to 403-229-3609 or email cthsweb@cthsalta.com.
The Royal Hotel - Edmonton Airport has a special room rate of $119.00 per night for Night of Champions attendees!
#ABBredsrock #NightOfChampions #PeoplesChoice
People’s Choice Award: Decade Five 2014 – 2023
Thundering Trails: Alberta’s Decade of Speedy Thoroughbreds
The third decade opened with Taylor’s Swift’s release of ‘1989’, which went on to be one of the best-selling albums of the decade, Malaysian airline flight 370 mysteriously disappeared and racing fans voted California Chrome’s win in the 140th Kentucky Derby the top racing moment of 2014.
SMART FIX ran the first race of her career at Northlands, Jimmy Fallon took over the Tonight show and a 37 year drought was ended when American Pharaoh won the Triple Crown in 2015. The CTHS Alberta sale graduate SMART FIX went on to race for seven seasons and earned the title of 2019 Champion Alberta bred and Horse of the Year.
Speeding Through the Decade: Alberta’s Thunderous Thoroughbred Triumphs (2004 – 2013)
The next decade unfolded with the launch of Facebook, the imprisonment of Martha Stewart and Smarty Jones earning a $5 Million bonus for his victory in the 130th running of the Kentucky Derby.Hurricane Katrina had just devastated the US Gulf Coast and Zenyatta was a $60,000 yearling purchase at the 2005 September Keeneland Yearling Sale when CTHS Alberta yearling sale graduate, TEAGUES FIGHT began his racing career at Stampede Park.