The Alberta Breeders’ Fall Classic was held on Sunday, September 16th, 2018 for the first time at a new venue, Century Downs Racetrack & Casino. Alberta breds competed for $350,000 over seven races as the biggest day in Alberta bred horse racing took place on a chilly fall day in Alberta.

A huge thank you goes out to the sponsors that made this special event possible. Race sponsors included Horse Racing Alberta, Highfield, Chandos Construction, KPM Investments, Clark Builders and CBRE & High Plains Industrial Park. Breed sponsors included Railyard Brewing, Tool Shed Brewing Company, Brewsters, Red Diamond Stable, Moore Equine, True North Holdings Inc. and Bar None Ranches.

The $50,000 ALBERTA PREMIER’S FUTURITY for Two Year Olds presented by Horse Racing Alberta was won by SMARTY RIVER PANTS, bred and owned by Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd. The two year old added the $29,400 winner’s share of the purse to his earnings and now has career earnings of $85,477. This Afleet Alex runner has a perfect record in his first season out with three stakes wins in four starts, including victories in the Princess Margaret Stakes, the Birdcatcher Stakes and this Alberta Breeders’ Fall Classic race. The gelding is out of a stakes placed Smarty Jones mare owned by Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd., Smarty Jill.  

The $50,000 BEAUFORT STAKES for Three Year Olds presented by Clark Builders was won by REGAL MAX. This Max Forever gelding was bred by Stone Ranches Ltd. and is owned by Almac Racing Stable and Kerredge Farm. The multiple stakes placed runner and current Alberta Derby champion added $30,000 to his earnings with this win and now has career earnings of $132,255 with placings in twelve of fourteen lifetime starts. Regal Max is a 2016 CTHS Alberta sale graduate out of the stakes winning Regal Intention mare, My Miss Emily.

The five year old ZIPPITY ZAP was the winner of the $50,000 ALBERTA BREEDERS’ HANDICAP for Three Year Olds and Up presented by CBRE and High Plains Industrial Park. This Ghostzapper gelding took home the $30,000 portion of the first place purse money for owner Bar C 5 Ranches Ltd. and brought his career earnings to $107,160. The Bar None Ranches Ltd. bred runner is out of a Chester House mare and has placed in three of his four starts this season.

IRISH GOLD was the winner in the $50,000 RED DIAMOND EXPRESS for Three Year Olds and Up presented by Red Diamond Stables. The Dublin gelding captured his first career stakes win and brought his career earnings to $56,697 with the $29,400 share of the first place purse money for this win. The four year old is owned by Dale Ellson and was bred by Bar None Ranches Ltd. out of the Red Ransom mare, Ruby Mist.

The $50,000 FALL CLASSIC DISTAFF for Three Year Old and Up Fillies & Mares presented by Highfield was won by OUR SAMMI. This four year old Schramsberg filly captured her first stakes win in the Alberta Breeders’ Fall Classic and earned $29,400 with this win for breeder and owner, Bar None Ranches Ltd. Our Sammi has a record of two firsts and a third in four starts out this season and has now brought her career earnings to $44,823. Our Sammi is out of the Seeking the Gold mare, Ensnare.

MISS HESI was the winner of the $50,000 STURGEON RIVER for Two Year Old Fillies presented by Chandos Construction. This filly by Canadian Derby winner No Hesitation is bred and owned by Side Management Ltd. out of the Officer mare, Insightofanofficer. Miss Hesi has won an impressive two of three starts in her first season giving her career earnings of $30,087 after adding $28,800 for this first place finish. 

The winner of the $50,000 ALBERTA OAKS for Three Year Old Fillies presented by KPM Investments was I MISS BACK WHEN. This Alydeed filly was bred by Peaceful Valley Farms out of a Dixieland Band mare, Lady Shakin and is owned by Doug and Cheryl Allen. I Miss Back When earned $28,200 for her share of the purse with this win bringing her career total to $77,817. This filly has finished in the placings in all seven of her starts out in 2018. 

The top breeder of the Alberta Breeders’ Fall Classic was Bar None Ranches Ltd. with a total of three wins. The Alberta Breeders’ Handicap, the Red Diamond Express and the Fall Classic Distaff were won by the Bar None Ranches bred horses Zippity Zap, Irish Gold and Our Sammi respectively. The Alberta bred runners earned a total of $88,800 for their wins on the day. 

Congratulations to all the connections of the Alberta bred runners that participated in the 2018 Alberta Breeders’ Fall Classic!