Positive News from the 2020 CTHS Alberta Sale
Admin • September 24, 2020
The CTHS Alberta Thoroughbred Sale held on Friday, September 18th at Westerner Park in Red Deer had a strong start with an announcement from Horse Racing Alberta CEO, Kent Verlik, who offered positive news on the state of the industry going forward.
Photo credit to Orianna Scheck
Verlik emphasized that the record handle and slot machine revenue numbers since the re-opening of horse racing and the racing entertainment centres have surpassed the expectations of Horse Racing Alberta and provided a stable financial position from which to grow the industry.
“Over the course of our 2021-2023 business plan, we are planning to make significant investment in our Horsepersons. Next year, increases in both breed improvement and purse funding will be increased by more than 16% over what was planned BEFORE the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Similar increases are being planned for in 2022 and 2023.
We want to encourage horse owners, trainers and others that may have either left the industry or wish to join it, to look at making horse racing in Alberta a part of your future. We now find ourselves on stable ground, rejuvenated and brimming with optimism for an even stronger 2021 and beyond.”
65 yearlings were offered in the 2020 catalogue with 39 selling for total gross sales of $327,400. The yearling book was somewhat smaller than normal this year due to the general uncertainty created by Covid-19 but overall results were extremely positive showing an increase in both the average and median. The average yearling price this year was $8,395 which represents a 25% increase over the previous 2019 sale average of $6,736. The 2020 median sale price of $4,500 is an impressive 67% higher than the 2019 median of $2,700.
The high seller at the 2020 sale was Hip #53, an Alberta bred yearling that sold for $44,000. This lovely filly by the stakes winning sire Exhi was consigned by Highfield Investment Group Inc., Agent and sold to Greg Tracy, Agent. Exhi is a stakes winning racehorse who has sired 30 winners including Alberta runners Pacioretty ($112,440), Victory Day ($78,398) and Norm’s Big Bucks ($53,201). The dam of the high seller is the stakes winning Forestry mare, Eustacia, who earned $189,540 in her race career with an impressive record of seven firsts, three seconds and one third from fourteen starts. The stakes wins for Eustacia included races such as the Freedom of the City Stakes, the Bird of Pay Stakes, the R.K. (Red) Smith Handicap, the Wild Rose Handicap and the Chariot Chaser Handicap. This yearling is her second foal as her first foal is a two year old of 2020.
The second highest selling yearling was Hip #60, a Laoban filly consigned by Stone Ranches Ltd. and purchased by True North Stable for $26,500. Laoban is a stakes winning son of leading sire Uncle Mo and his first foals are just two year olds of 2020. This yearling is out of the Bernardini mare, Kimono ($97,050).
Third of the top selling yearlings was Hip #27, a War Correspondent filly consigned by Highfield Investment Group, Agent and purchased for $22,000 by Greg Tracy, Agent. This yearling is from the first group of foals for War Correspondent who is a son of leading sire War Front. This filly is the first foal for her dam, Swaying, a Stormy Atlantic daughter.
Hip #30, Wild Runnin Maggie, brought the fourth highest price in the sale for consignor, Barb Saunders after she was purchased by P.J. Schaffer for $20,000. The sire, Cape Canaveral, is among the leading sires in Canada with progeny earnings of over $17 Million with current runners that include Alberta Two Year Old champion, Pearl of Knowledge. The dam of this yearling is the multiple stakes winning mare, Wild Bender ($170,583).
The fifth highest selling yearling was Hip #17, an Upstart gelding consigned by Stone Ranches Ltd. and purchased by DHA Thoroughbreds for $18,500. The first foals for the son of Flatter are two year olds of 2020. The dam of this gelding, Ron’s Girl, is a half-sister to stakes winner Mindy Sue ($208,612).
Highfield Investment Group Inc., Agent was the leading consignor by gross sales and average with three yearlings selling for a total of $62,000 or an average of $20,667. The top seller in the sale was from this consignment. The leading purchaser by gross sales and average was Greg Tracy, Agent with two purchases for a total of $66,000 or an average of $33,000. The purchases included the top selling Exhi filly and the War Correspondent filly.
Four of the top five selling yearlings were Alberta bred yearlings giving their purchasers the opportunity to participate in the Thoroughbred Breed Improvement Program which in 2020 paid to owners of horses foaled in Alberta a bonus of greater than 20% on eligible earnings.
This province will be an exciting place to breed and own Thoroughbreds in the years ahead. Your best bet is an Alberta bred!
For further details and full sale results, visit the CTHS Alberta website at www.cthsalta.com under Sales
Share
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
Equineline and T.I.P. today announced the launch of a new report centered on Thoroughbreds in their second careers.
Dual-Breed Dream: Thoroughbred Jockey Omar Moreno Finds New Passion In Standardbreds
While Moreno will continue to be active in Thoroughbred racing, his wintertime passion for harness racing has given him a deeper appreciation for all horses
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!
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.
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