CTHS Alberta Sale Review

2018 CTHS ALBERTA THOROUGHBRED YEARLING SALE REVIEW

Over three quarters of a million dollars was paid out for 117 yearlings on offer at the 2018 CTHS Alberta Thoroughbred Sale held on Wednesday, September 19th at the Olds Regional Exhibition Megadome.

The bleachers were full of buyers and viewers excited to see the bidding action for the strong catalogue of quality yearlings in the class of 2018.

Hip #109, a spectacular Colonel John colt consigned by Ken Anderson, was the top seller of the sale after being purchased by Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd. for the sum of $67,000. Colonel John is a Grade One stakes winning sire with progeny earnings of over $21 Million including the multiple graded stakes placed runner and Alberta Horse of the Year, Trooper John. This high selling yearling is out of the successful broodmare True Addiction, producer of five winners including Snappy Sinclair, a multiple graded stakes placed earner of over $370,000. The amount paid for the top yearling of the sale was up by $22,000 over last year when Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd. paid $45,000 for a Point of Entry filly out of the Macho Uno mare, Carmen’s Kiss. Ken and Maxine Anderson was very happy with the sale of their top yearling noting that "the result of the O'Prado Again yearling verifies our belief in him (O'Prado Again)."

Hip #93, also consigned by Ken Anderson,sold for $53,000 to Riversedge Racing Stables Ltdand was the second highest selling yearling. This colt is by the stakes winning sire O’Prado Again, out of a proven Pulpit broodmare with progeny that already includes eight winners.The top two selling yearlings are both Alberta bred.The third highest seller was Hip #70, a Flat Out filly consigned by Cal Britton as Agent, sold for $36,000 to Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd.

The leading consignor by gross sales was Ken Anderson who finished the sale with the top two highest priced yearlings and gross sales of $126,300 for his three yearlings. The leading purchaser by gross sales was Riversedge Racing Stables Ltd. with seven yearlings totalling $228,000. Their sale purchases included bloodstock consigned by Moonshine Meadows Ranch, Cal Britton, Ken Anderson and Barb Saunders with pedigrees including the sires Misremembered, Revolutionary, Flat out, O’Prado Again, Bakken Colonel John and Warriors Reward.

Jean Kruse, Manager of the CTHS Alberta, was confident that the packed stands and the involvement of new purchasers shows that there is positive growth going forward in the industry, “We had more entries and a strong catalogue so buyers had a lot of choice. Although there was an increase in the number of buy backs and RNAs, many of our breeders are also owners and continue to be optimistic about the industry.” A number of the owners made the choice to keep a horse to either race or sell privately, showing that they are optimistic about the future of racing in Alberta.

The final gross sales figure for the yearlings totalled $734,000 with an average of $9,658. The 2018 sales average declined 6% from the 2017 number of $10,233 and the 2018 gross sales number was down 11% from the 2017 total of $828,900. The slight downward trend is consistent with other CTHS Thoroughbred sales across Canada in 2018.

There is good reason to be enthusiastic about the Alberta Thoroughbred industry as breeders, owners and fans anticipate the opening of a new track just south of Edmonton in 2019. Century Mile will be the only one-mile racetrack in western Canada and is expected to offer a minimum of 100 race days per year as well as a racing entertainment center that will provide all forms of Pari-Mutuel wagering.

Owners of Alberta bred thoroughbreds also have the opportunity to share in close to $1 Million of additional bonus money through the Owners Breeding Support portion of the Alberta Breed Improvement Program. In 2018, $955,238 is available to be paid to the owners of winning Alberta bred race horses.

Further information and complete sales results are available on the CTHS Alberta web site at www.cthsalta.com

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