Celebrating Alberta Breds on Canadian Derby Weekend
Admin • September 29, 2020
Alberta breds BANG ON and SHOTTHRUTHEHEART Capture Win and Place in the Black Type Birdcatcher Stakes

Alberta breds had a great night of racing on Friday night at Century Mile!
The Alberta breds BANG ON and SHOTTHRUTHEHEART shut out the other runners in the $60,000 Birdcatcher Stakes when the CTHS Sale graduates placed one and two in the field of seven. The two year olds last ran against each other in the Alberta Premier’s Futurity on September 6, placing second and third.
This was the first stakes win for the two year old BANG ON who now adds black type to his record of two wins and one second in four starts for owner True North Stables. The Commissioner gelding was bred by Running Fawcett Thoroughbreds out of the Forest Wildcat mare Next Big Nothin.
The Reload gelding SHOTTHRUTHEHEART adds stakes placed to his record of one win, one second and one third in three career starts for owners Janet & Gary Kropp and Dialed In Racing. Shotthrutheheart is out of the stakes placed Western Fame mare, Chandlers Heart ($166,660) and was bred by Brian Weatherill.
On Sunday, Alberta bred SAVEITFORARAINYDAY placed second in the $75,000 Northlands Distaff Handicap for owner Tom Rycroft bringing her career earnings to $178,631. The Albertus Maximus six year old was bred by Stone Ranches and sold through the 2015 CTHS Thoroughbred Sale. Alberta bred SHIMSHINE placed third in the black type $75,000 Century Mile Handicap raising his lifetime earnings to $239,275 for owner White Pine Ranch Ltd. The five year old grades stakes placed Wilko gelding was bred by Wally Pugh and Andy Stronach.
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The Western Canadian Derby Series is back and bigger than ever for 2025!
🏇 $100,000 Derby Bonus for any 3-year-old who sweeps the Manitoba Derby (Aug 4), Canadian Derby (Aug 23), and BC Derby (Sept 13) – now all back in the lineup!
💰 Plus, a $25,000 Owner-Trainer Bonus is up for grabs based on points earned across all three races
#horseracingalberta #albertaracing #ridersup #FeelTheRush #bestinthewest

The public comment period for the proposed countermeasures, with feedback from business, stakeholders, and Canadians regarding their impacts has been extended to April 2nd.
Once again, we strongly encourage all industry stakeholders to submit their input through this comment submission form and request an exemption to the Canadian tariffs for purebred breeding and racing horses at https://forms-formulaires.alpha.canada.ca/en/id/cm7upmkx9008rx268zhy9l6pj.
Please make sure you make a note of the following HS Tariff Items in your exemption request:
HS Tariff Item 0101.21.00 Pure-bred breeding animals
HS Tariff Item 0101.29.00.20 – Other For Racing

From the racetrack to the show ring! Code, the first foal out of Crimson Deed by Omega Code, retired sound after his racing career and found a new purpose with a dedicated young rider from High River. Given the time and patience OTTBs need to transition, Carol built a strong bond with him before training for his second career. Now, they’re gearing up for their next big challenge—a show at Spruce Meadows from March 13-16. A true testament to the versatility and heart of Alberta-breds!

Alberta’s breeding industry is thriving, with qualifying stallion owners sharing in an impressive $85,000 in breeding awards for the 2024 season! The Horse Racing Alberta Breed Improvement Program Stallion Bonus rewarded 34 stallions at a rate of 3.25%, building on the momentum of 2023’s $75,000 at 3.26%—a testament to the growing success of Alberta-sired runners.
Cape Canaveral topped the Stallion Bonus leaderboard with an impressive $13,969 payout, followed by Fed Biz ($8,217), It’s No Joke ($6,486), Saturdaynitelites ($5,509), and Imperialism ($5,120), solidifying their impact on Alberta’s breeding scene. With Alberta-sired winners making their mark on the track, the future of the province’s breeding program has never looked brighter!

If you visit Anne Kursinski’s Market Street facility in Frenchtown, New Jersey, you might notice a striking bay gelding with a broad blaze and four white socks being ridden by one of her students or her partner, Carol Hoffman. You might wonder about his breeding—until you remember that for Kursinski, a member of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame, nothing can beat a good Thoroughbred.
“I am a huge fan of the Thoroughbreds, no question,” said Kursinski, 65, who famously rode ex-race horse Eros to team silver at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. “Thoroughbreds are intelligent and athletic, brave and light.”
The newest Thoroughbred in her life—Bobby Socks, so named in honor of his four white socks—became part of the Market Street family in 2022, after a chance conversation at a horse show between Kursinski and her longtime friend and retired show jumper Mary Chapot.
“Mary said they had this Thoroughbred that was too slow for Laura [Chapot, Mary’s daughter], and she thought maybe we’d like to take a look,” Kursinski recal

🏇✨ Off-the-track Thoroughbreds (OTTBs) are the ultimate comeback stars! With their athleticism, heart, and resilience, they thrive in second careers like eventing, show jumping, dressage, and even therapy work. 🏆💖 Their spirit and work ethic make them incredible partners for life, proving that retirement is just the start of something great!
Here’s two Alberta bred older OTTB having some playful fun in the Mane Attractions arena near Olds where they are now boarded!

2025 Stallion News – Malibu Moon son MOONSHINE NOW
Malibu Moon son MOONSHINE NOW is standing at Copper Kettle Performance Horses for the 2025 season. Champion Sire Malibu Moon is one of A.P. Indy’s most successful progeny to enter stud. Moonshine Now is out of Ask Me When by Champion sire Speighstown. Ask Me When comes from an impressive female line that has produced multiple black type runners including a full sibling that earned over $500,000 on the racetrack featuring a graded stakes performance.
This lineage is further highlighted by Grade 1 winner and millionaire Honey Rider among other champions on the track.
Moonshine Now raced from 2 through 7, earning over $100,000 on the track. The 2017 stallion will be standing at Copper Kettle Performance Horses in Didsbury, Alberta for a stud fee of $2,000. Contact Don or Kerry Johnston at 403-586-4462 or email copperkettlephs@hotmail.com for further information.