Highlights of the Alberta Breds in the Open Stakes Season at Century Mile Racetrack and Casino
Admin • November 17, 2020
The stakes season in Alberta got off to a late start due to the impact of Covid-19 and as a result, the live Thoroughbred race meet was moved to Century Mile for the 2020 season. Opening day was June 21 and the first open stakes race was the $40,000 RedTail Landing Handicap on July 17.
The stakes season in Alberta got off to a late start due to the impact of Covid-19 and as a result, the entire live Thoroughbred race meet was moved to Century Mile for the 2020 season. Opening day was June 21 and the first open stakes race was the $40,000 RedTail Landing Handicap on July 17.
The Alberta breds first appeared in the winner’s circle in the $40,000 Western Canada Handicap on July 26 with MASKWECIS, DUNE D’ORO and BARE BACK JACK finishing one, two and three respectively. Maskwecis followed up the Western Canada win with a showing in the black type $40,000 Count Lathum Handicap on August 16. His win in the restricted $40,000 Beaufort Stakes increased the earnings for the Jimmy Creed runner to US$76,225 with a record of 8-4-1-1-1. Maskwecis was bred by Doug Oberg and sold through the 2018 CTHS Alberta sale graduate for $5,781 to R.K. Smith. The three year old is currently owned by Jim & Carole Barker and Red Ron Farms.
MUSIC AT WORK was the next Alberta bred to claim victory in an open stakes race in the $40,000 Sonoma Handicap on August 14th. Alberta breds placed first and second with the three year old Music at Work ahead of second place finisher PEARL OF KNOWLEDGE to win the seven furlong black type race. Music at Work added the Sonoma Handicap to an earlier third place finish in the black type Chariot Chaser Handicap on July 24th to help increase her earnings to US$61,355 and a record of 6-2-0-1. The stakes winning filly was bred and consigned to the 2018 CTHS Alberta Sale by Wes & Jenn Hanson and purchased by Dr. Steven Smith. She is currently owned by Indyrock Racing. Music at Work is by the leading Alberta sire, Cape Canaveral out of the Bluegrass Cat dam, Las Olas Azur.
The Alberta bred two year olds BANG ON and SHOTTHRUTHEHEART shut out the other runners in the $60,000 black type Birdcatcher Stakes on September 25th when the CTHS Sale graduates placed one and two in the field of seven. This was the first stakes win for the two year old Bang On who added black type to his record of 5-2-1-1 and career earnings of US$44,530 for owner True North Stables. The Commissioner gelding was bred by Running Fawcett Thoroughbreds out of the Forest Wildcat mare Next Big Nothin and consigned to the 2019 CTHS Alberta sale where he sold for $19,679 to True North Stables.
The 2020 Western Canada Handicap, the Sonoma Handicap and the Birdcatcher Stakes titles are held by the CTHS Alberta sale graduates Maskwecis, Music at Work and Bang On. Congratulations to all the connections of these runners and also to all the Alberta bred runners who finished place and show in the entire open stakes season at Century Mile.
The 2020 Century Mile Racetrack and Casino live Thoroughbred meet wrapped up on November 8th with the unfortunate weather related cancellation of the Cash on the Run Stakes and Blue Dancer Stakes.
All race records and earnings in this article are in US$ taken from Equibase.
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Chris Lomon/Woodbine Communications21 hours ago
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!
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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.
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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.
Three key programs designed to strengthen and grow the Thoroughbred breeding and racing community in Alberta. These initiatives are tailored to support our breeders, enhance and grow the local horse racing industry, and incentivize the breeding of high-quality Thoroughbreds in our province