Alberta breds in the Century Downs Racetrack and Casino Open Stakes Meet

Century Downs Racetrack and Casino hosted four open stakes races during the Thoroughbred Meet held from September 7 through October 27. The $50,000 Lynn Chouinard Founders Distaff and the $100,000 Harvest Plate were held on Monday, October 14th while the $100,000 Freedom of the City Stakes and the $100,000 Canadian Juvenile were run on the last weekend of the race meet.

Alberta bred runners dominated in the Lynn Chouinard Founders Distaff and the Harvest Plate on Thanksgiving Monday.

Alberta bred BAR NO Q emerged as the winner in the 3rd running of the $100,000 Harvest Plate Stake at Century Downs Racetrack and Casino on Monday, October 14th. Eleven runners contested the seven furlong Harvest Plate including the Alberta bred runners SHIMSHINE, ZIPPITY ZAP, FOR CASH, ZICATELA AND BAR NO Q.

The five-year-old Bar No Q has now won his last two starts, in the Harvest Plate and the Red Diamond Express and has career earnings of $161,587. The Gayego runner was bred by Barrie & Collin Quamme and is owned by Barrie & Collin Quamme and Bar None Ranches Ltd. Gayego is a multiple graded stakes winner and earner of over $1.75 Million who is an Alberta based sire standing at Bar None Ranches in Dewinton, Alberta.

Thank you to the Alberta Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association (ATOBA) for their race sponsorship of the Harvest Plate.

The Alberta bred CTHS Alberta sale graduate SMART FIX won the $50,000 Lynn Chouinard Founders Distaff Handicap on Thanksgiving Monday, October 14. This race was for fillies and mares, three years old and up, over a one and one sixteenth mile track. The six year old mare prevailed over a strong field of twelve runners to take the victory in the seventh race over one and one sixteenth miles at Century Downs Racetrack and Casino. Five Alberta breds were among the runners including EMMA JEAN TOO, SAVEITFORARAINYDAY, SMART FIX, WILKO LOVESONG and PARCAM COWGIRL.

The Kissin Kris runner Smart Fix has had a great season with wins in her last three stakes races including the Lynn Chouinard Founders Distaff, the Northlands Distaff and the Alberta Fall Classic Distaff Handicap bringing her Equibase career earnings to $229,892. The six-year-old CTHS Alberta sale graduate was bred by Pierre Esquirol and is owned by Douglas Hardy, Leanne Chiodo, Judy Frost, Jerri Robertson, Lesley Hardy and Tim Kane.

Tim Kane was thrilled with the win by Smart Fix, “It’s been a hell of a ride!” Kane noted that the mare battled a liver condition last season that kept her to the sidelines and “If they (horses) get so much as a pimple, they don’t run!” Smart Fix has made up for lost time this season with three wins and two seconds in seven starts to earn $104,430 in 2019.

The Lynn Chouinard Founders Distaff Handicap was named after Albertan Lynn Chouinard who passed away on December 7, 2017. Mr. Chouinard was an influential breeder, owner and builder in the industry for three decades through his racing and breeding farm, Bar None Ranches. Mr. Chouinard and his family built Bar None Ranches into a world class facility which bred and raced numerous stakes winners and champions including such familiar names as Code Name Fred, Silver Baubles, Fuhr Ore and Gone in a Flash.

The $100,000 Freedom of the City Stakes for Two Year Old Fillies took place on a cold and windy Saturday on the final weekend of the Century Downs Racetrack and Casino race meet. The Alberta bred PEARL OF KNOWLEDGE finished in third place behind Kentucky bred Enchanted Lady and the BC bred winner, Sangria. The Cape Canaveral filly earned her first black type stakes placing to add to her wins in the CTHS Sales Stake and the Sturgeon River Stakes. Bred by Starline Thoroughbreds, Pearl of Knowledge finished her two year old season with $74,282 in earnings for owners Don Danard and Jim Juris.

The $100,000 Canadian Juvenile Stakes was narrowly captured by the Kentucky bred Rail Hugger. The Alberta breds made him fight for the win however with GREEK GEEK racing three wide into the stretch alongside DUNE d’ORO to challenge Rail Hugger to the wire. The CTHS Sale graduate Greek Geek was sired by Misremembered and bred by Moonshine Meadow Ranch. He finished his two year old season with $27,572 in lifetime earnings for owner Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd. Dune d’Oro earned $48,774 in his debut season for owners Gary and Janet Kropp. The Atreides gelding was bred by Doug Oberg.