The Paddock Room at Century Mile Racetrack and Casino was sold out on the evening of May 5 as over 130 Alberta Thoroughbred breeders, owners, trainers and backstretch workers celebrated the achievements of the Alberta Thoroughbred industry in 2022.
Master of Ceremonies Ken Gee began the awards program with greetings and a positive outlook from Horse Racing Alberta Chief Executive Officer, Kent Verlik.
“In 2022, Alberta horse racing moved forward from the pandemic and began the recovery process with reasons for optimism on many fronts,” he said. “An exciting accomplishment was the long-term funding agreement signed by Horse Racing Alberta and the Alberta Government that provides stability to the industry until March 31, 2031.”
Dance Shoes dominated the awards presentations winning in all four of the categories she was nominated for – Century Downs Racetrack and Casino Trophy for Champion Sprinter, Moore Equine Veterinary Centre Ltd. Trophy for Champion Older Mare, the Ted Connor Memorial Trophy for Champion Alberta bred and the Horse Racing Alberta Trophy for Horse of the Year.
As a 4-year-old last season, the Alberta bred Mank filly earned $163,618 to finish with an impressive record of six wins from eight starts at Century Mile Racetrack and Casino. Four of those wins included the RedTail Landing Handicap, the Shirley Vargo Handicap, the Alberta Fall Classic Distaff Handicap and the R.K. Smith Handicap.
Owner Mohamad Khan thanked, “the CTHS of Alberta, HBPA of Alberta, Century Mile (Racetrack and Casino) and all the other good people who have made this a most memorable evening for me, my family, friends and horse people.”
Mohamad also thanked breeder James McFadyen, jockeys Alex Marti and Dane Nelson and had special words for his trainer Jim Brown,
“Jim has transformed this filly and she genuinely enjoys racing,” he said. “Thanks, Jim.”
Mohamad came to own Dance Shoes through the claiming route as “one of my horses ran against Dance Shoes twice and lost. Expecting Dance Shoes to win that second encounter, I asked James Brown, my trainer, to put in a claim for her and, as they say, the rest is history.”
Another Alberta bred Big Hug took the Dwight McLellan Memorial Trophy for Champion 2-Year-Old filly home for owners Empire Equestrian and Kerredge Farm. The Mr. Big filly earned $142,900 last season in only five starts including victories in the CTHS Alberta 2-Year-Old Sales Stakes, the Sturgeon River Stakes and the Princess Margaret Stakes.
The C.T.H.S. Trophy for Leading Breeder was awarded to Pierre Esquirol who bred horses that earned a total of $262,108 and 17 wins last season.
Craig Smith presented the Ken Cohoe Lifetime Achievement Award to longtime Alberta horseman Rod Cone.
The award is presented to members of the industry who have dedicated a substantial amount of time and effort to preserving or improving the thoroughbred racing industry here in Alberta. As Craig stated, “In this case and many others, this is in fact a lifetime.”
Rod's training career began in 1988 and he has earned 987 wins at every major racetrack in Canada and other U.S. tracks. Notable horses trained by Rod include Switch N Win, Racaholic, Latshaw, Northern Prospector, Cozzy Grey, Go Eighty Eight, Quiet Approach, Notoriously, Double Bear, Afleets Dancer, Tempered Sapphire and Bird Of Pay who Rod says, “may have been the best horse he ever trained.”
All the 2022 Alberta Thoroughbred award winners are shown below:
Champion 2-year-old male – Rocky Mountain Turf Club Trophy
Cuban Cobra
Owner: Crystal Cates and Gonzalo Anderson
Trainer: Tim Rycroft
Breeder: Moonshine Meadow Ranch (AB)
DK. B. C. 2 by Flat Out – A E Phi Sensation
2022: 5 Starts – 3 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds – $90,800
Winner: Canadian Juvenile Stakes (BT), Winnipeg Futurity
Placings: Birdcatcher Stakes (BT), Martin Deerline Juvenile Stakes
Champion 2-year-old female – Dwight McLellan Memorial Trophy
Big Hug
Owner: Empire Equestrian and Kerredge Farm
Trainer: Rick Hedge
Breeder: Chalet Stable (AB)
DK.B.F. 2 by Mr. Big – Temeeku (Unusual Heat)
2022: 5 starts – 4 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds – $142,900
Winner: CTHS Alberta Two Year Old Sales Stakes (BT), Sturgeon River Stakes, Princess Margaret Stakes
Champion 3-year-old male – Sponsored by Bar None Ranches Ltd.
Asyoubelieve
Owner: Shot In The Dark Racing Corp
Trainer: Tim Rycroft
Breeder: Bennett/Caravetta (BC)
DK.B.G. 3 by Second in Command – I Believe in Angel (Cause to Believe)
2022: 7 starts – 4 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds – $92,000
Winner: CTHS Alberta Three Year Old Sales Stakes, Western Canada Handicap
Champion 3-year-old female – Dave Kapchinsky Memorial Trophy
Oneofthemgirls
Owner: Highfield Investment Group Inc., Curtis Landry, Irving Devey
Trainer: Greg Tracy
Breeder: Highfield Investment Group Inc. and Curtis Landry (AB)
CH.F. 3 by Exhi – Eustacia (Forestry)
2022: 4 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third – $95,000
Winner: Sonoma Handicap, Chariot Chaser Handicap (BT), Alberta Sire Debutante Stakes
Placings: Alberta Oaks
Champion older male – Century Mile Racetrack and Casino Trophy
At Attention
Owner: Dr. Bryan Anderson and Carol Anderson
Trainer: Barbara Heads
Breeder: Dr. Bryan Anderson and Carol Anderson (BC)
DK.B.G. 5 by Shanghai Bobby – Unattended (Quality Road)
2022: 8 starts – 5 wins – 3 seconds – 0 thirds – $233,900
Winner: Speed to Spare Championship Stakes (BT), BC Premier's Handicap (G3), Century Mile Handicap (BT)
Placings: S.W. Randall Plate Handicap (BT), BC Cup Classic Handicap
Champion older female – Moore Equine Veterinary Centre Ltd. Trophy
Dance Shoes
Owner: Mohamad Khan
Trainer: James Brown
Breeder: James McFadyen (AB)
CH.F. 4 by Mank – Dancin for Dellana (WhyWhyWhy)
2022: 11 starts – 6 wins – 1 second – 2 thirds – $163,618
Winner: R.K. Red Smith Handicap, Alberta Fall Classic Distaff Handicap, Shirley Vargo Handicap (BT), RedTail Landing Handicap (BT)
Placings: City of Phoenix Stakes, Lynn Chouinard Founders Distaff Stakes
Champion Claimer – H.B.P.A. Trophy
Bon Prix
Owner: James Wyness
Trainer: James Wyness
Breeder: Roberto Martinez (KY)
2022: 11 starts – 5 wins – 3 seconds – 0 thirds – $48,790
Winner: 2 Starter Optional Claiming, 1 Starter Allowance, 2 Claiming
Placings: Allowance Optional Claiming, Starter Allowance
Champion Sprinter – Century Downs Racetrack and Casino Trophy
Dance Shoes
Owner: Mohamad Khan
Trainer: James Brown
Breeder: James McFadyen (AB)
CH.F. 4 by Mank – Dancin for Dellana (WhyWhyWhy)
2022: 11 starts – 6 wins – 1 second – 2 thirds – $163,618
Winner: R.K. Red Smith Handicap, Alberta Fall Classic Distaff Handicap, Shirley Vargo Handicap (BT), RedTail Landing Handicap (BT)
Placings: City of Phoenix Stakes, Lynn Chouinard Founders Distaff Stakes
Champion Alberta-bred – Ted Connor Memorial Trophy
Dance Shoes
Owner: Mohamad Khan
Trainer: James Brown
Breeder: James McFadyen (AB)
CH.F. 4 by Mank – Dancin for Dellana (WhyWhyWhy)
2022: 11 starts – 6 wins – 1 second – 2 thirds – $163,618
Winner: R.K. Red Smith Handicap, Alberta Fall Classic Distaff Handicap, Shirley Vargo Handicap (BT), RedTail Landing Handicap (BT)
Placings: City of Phoenix Stakes, Lynn Chouinard Founders Distaff Stakes
Horse of the Year – Horse Racing Alberta Trophy
Dance Shoes
Owner: Mohamad Khan
Trainer: James Brown
Breeder: James McFadyen (AB)
CH.F. 4 by Mank – Dancin for Dellana (WhyWhyWhy)
2022: 11 starts – 6 wins – 1 second – 2 thirds – $163,618
Winner: R.K. Red Smith Handicap, Alberta Fall Classic Distaff Handicap, Shirley Vargo Handicap (BT), RedTail Landing Handicap (BT)
Placings: City of Phoenix Stakes, Lynn Chouinard Founders Distaff Stakes
Leading Breeder – C.T.H.S. Trophy
Pierre Esquirol
2022: Starts – 178 Wins – 17 Seconds – 23 Thirds – 27
Earnings: $262,108
Alberta bred horses bred by Pierre Esquirol earned over $260,000 with 17 wins. The top Esquirol bred horse last season was the Alberta bred runner Wildcat Willy by Wildcat Red out of Silver Chest (Silver Deputy).
Leading Jockey – The Lou Davies Memorial Trophy
Enrique Gonzalez
2022: Starts – 296 Wins – 71 Seconds – 59 Thirds – 40
Earnings: $1,054,955
The multiple graded stakes placed jockey Enrique Gonzalez earned over $1 Million last season including 71 wins. The top horse ridden by Gonzalez was the Champion 3-year-old colt Asyoubelieve; other horses included Cuban Cobra, Mudinator, Greek Geek and Stone Carver.
Apprentice Jockey
N'Rico Prescod
2022: Starts – 208 Wins – 26 Seconds – 33 Thirds – 38
Earnings: $426,215
The stakes winning jockey N'Rico Prescod earned over $400,000 last season including 26 wins. The top horse ridden last season by Prescod was the Three Year Old Alberta bred colt Above and Beyond with a win in the Alberta Sire Stakes Derby.
Leading Trainer – H.B.P.A. Trophy
Tim Rycroft
2022: Starts – 334 Wins – 62 Seconds – 62 Thirds – 44
Earnings $984,075
The multiple grades stakes winning trainer Tim Rycroft earned the Leading Trainer title for the fifth consecutive year with Rycroft trained horses earning close to $1 Million with 62 wins last season. The top runner for Tim in 2021 was the multiple stakes placed Alberta bred winner, Greek Geek.
Leading Owner – Jockey Club of Canada Trophy (Provided by JCC)
Crystal Cates and Gonzalo Anderson
2022: Starts – 56 Wins – 16 Seconds – 10 Thirds – 8
Earnings $236,500
The multiple winning owners Crystal Cates and Gonzalo Anderson earned the Leading Owner title for the 2022 season with horses owned by this partnership earning $236,500. The top runner for Cates & Anderson last season was the champion 2-year-old colt Cuban Cobra
Ken Cohoe Lifetime Achievement Award
Rod Cone
Rod Cone was presented with the 'lifelong personal involvement and contribution for the love of the Thoroughbred' honor for his commitment to the Alberta Thoroughbred industry. Rod is a multiple graded stakes winning trainer with 987 wins and over $9.8 million in earnings. Horses trained by Rod include such well known runners as Double Bear, A Fleets Dancer, Cozzy Grey, A Quiet Approach, Tempered Sapphire, Northernprospector, Notoriously, Double Bear, Go Eighty Eight and Bird of Pay.
The post Dance Shoes Named Alberta’s 2022 Horse Of The Year appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
