Hastings' Weekly Winter Round-Up
Locals in the news this week as owners WYN Racing get off the mark at Oaklawn, while Nancy Betts saddles a 25-1 winner at Turf Paradise
WYN Racing Stables got off the mark at Oaklawn this week, with Ian Jewell saddling CHICK COMMAND (Second in Command) to take a six-furlong, three-year-old Maiden-Claiming contest in gate-to-wire fashion on Friday.
Bred in B.C. by Jim and Anne Alendal, and a CAD 16,000 CTHS Yearling Sale graduate when knocked down to Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds, CHICK COMMAND was originally trained by Edgar Mendoza before WYN purchased the then two-year-old privately last summer.
Clearly well regarded, the half-brother to Stakes-placed performers SEVEN NATION ARMY (First Samurai) and BAR FIGHT (Forestry), was highly-tried at Hastings last season, running second to leading Juvenile MOUNT DOOM in the CTHS Sales Stakes before finishing unplaced in both the Jack Diamond Futurity and the Glen Todd Ascot Graduation Stakes. Friday was just his second appearance at Oaklawn and came a little over two weeks after he was sixth of 12 in a similar event.
Earlier in the week, Hastings’ handler Nancy Betts got off the mark for the year at Turf Paradise when tightening the cinch on 25-1 shot, ATTAIN, in a mile Maiden-Claiming contest on the dirt. The Sungold gelding, who was bred in B.C. by Helen Klimes, raced originally for Peter Redekop (who bought ATTAIN as a yearling at the CTHS sale) before being claimed last year by the Greg Beneen barn. Betts took charge of ATTAIN for the winter campaign and Wednesday was the four-year-old’s third run in Arizona this winter.
Betts clearly has her small string in good order. Her other runner on Wednesday, the Florida-bred QUINTECENTS (Goldencents), was beaten just a head in a non-winners of three claiming contest earlier in the afternoon.
ATTAIN, who like Chick Command led gate-to-wire, was ridden to victory by former Hastings’ pilot, Jose Asencio. Jose, who was leading rider in Alberta last season with 53 wins at Century Mile and a further 16 at Century Downs, has already booted home seven winners at Turf Paradise this winter in what is his first stint in Arizona.
Ontario breeders max out 2025 Mare Purchase Program
When the hammer dropped on Hip 877, Lola’s Light, at the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale on Tuesday, the daughter of City of Light and Burg Berg became the last of 25 in-foal mares purchased by Ontario residents through the Mare Purchase Program (MPP) offered by the Ontario Thoroughbred Improvement Program (TIP) for the 2025 foaling season.
“It has become increasingly difficult for local breeders to acquire young mares with new robust bloodlines in view of the prohibitive increases in cost, competition and demand,” said Josham Farms principal Ted Burnett, who purchased Lola’s Light in foal to 2023 Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo. “Average prices at the major sales seem to be on a steady upward trajectory, currency exchange rates add to the problem, and transportation and other increasing costs have all had a negative effect on replenishing and upgrading our mare population.
“In the face of these and other impediments, the Mare Purchase Program has been a very important and effective incentive for Ontario breeders to upgrade their stock.”
A total of $500,000 was available to Ontario breeders through the 2025 Mare Purchase Program, which provides an incentive up to $25,000 per mare, to a maximum of $75,000 per breeder, on the acquisition of in-foal mares purchased at recognized public auctions outside of the Province of Ontario for a minimum hammer price of $10,000 USD.
In maxing out the available MPP funding for the 2025 foaling season, Ontario breeders acquired 25 mares worth a total of $1.334 million in foal to both established stallions like Hard Spun (Danzig) and leading first-crop sires McKinzie (Street Sense) and Tiz the Law (Constitution).
“In the past 12 months, with the help of the Mare Purchase Program, we have purchased three young, high quality mares at major U.S. sales, for import back to Ontario. All three are siblings to important stakes performers and one is a full sister to a U.S. champion. When acquired, they were all pregnant to top Kentucky stallions,” said Burnett, who acquired two mares through the 2025 program and one in 2024. “In all three cases we were incentivized by the Mare Purchase Program, without which we may have taken a pass.”
Since the Ontario TIP Mare Purchase Program was launched for the 2020 foaling season, a total of 181 mares have been imported into the province. Those foals receive the “Ontario Bred” designation, making them eligible for purse bonuses and stakes opportunities at Woodbine Racetrack and Fort Erie Race Track.
Among the offspring of Mare Purchase Program participants is 2024 King’s Plate champion Caitlinhergrtness (Omaha Beach), whose dam Belatrix was part of the 2021 enrolment. Ontario breeders have also been rewarded for their investment at the yearling sales. The Ghostzapper daughter of Serapha, a daughter of Macho Uno Burnett purchased at the Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale in 2023, sold for $325,000 USD at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Complete details about the Ontario Thoroughbred Improvement Program are available on the program website or by contacting the Program Administrator at tbprogram@ontarioracing.com.
Horse Racing Alberta Supports Groundbreaking Research on Racehorse Injury Prevention with $185,000 Donation
Calgary, AB – Horse Racing Alberta (HRA) has generously committed $185,000 over four years to support pioneering research by Dr. Thilo Pfau and his team at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Faculty of Kinesiology. This significant contribution will fund research aimed at improving the prediction and prevention of racehorse injuries, a critical area of focus for the safety and protection of equine athletes.
Dr. Pfau’s research mobilizes cutting-edge wearable technology to monitor the stride length and speed of Thoroughbred, American Quarter Horse and Standardbred racehorses during races, correlating these metrics with track surface properties. The ultimate goal is to develop reliable injury prediction models that can help trainers and owners safeguard their horses’ health without altering their routines. This research is first of it’s kind for Standardbred racehorses.
“Horse Racing Alberta’s support is a testament to their commitment to protecting the health and welfare of racehorses,” said Dr. Pfau. “This funding will allow us to expand our research, refine our predictive models, and work towards a universal injury prevention system that benefits the entire industry.”
Keeneland January Sale Results Reflect Market Stability, Buyer Confidence
Keeneland’s January Horses of All Ages Sale closed Wednesday following three days of steady trade that produced solid results and signaled continued demand for quality individuals and confidence in the yearling market. Three horses sold for the top price of $700,000: broodmare prospect Delahaye and broodmare Pretty Birdie, carrying her first foal by Candy Ride (ARG), during Monday’s Book 1 and racing or broodmare prospect Love to Shop during Tuesday’s second session.
This year’s auction was three days versus four days in 2024.
Gross sales for horses sold through the ring during the January Sale, held Jan. 13-15, were $33,444,900 for 685 horses, down 13% from last year’s $38,330,300 for 831 horses. Cumulative average price of $48,825 rose 6% from $46,126 in 2024. Median price climbed 47% from $15,000 to $22,000. The RNA rate was 24% versus last year’s 20%.
Additionally, as of the close of the final session, 38 horses that did not meet their reserve price in the ring were sold privately for a total of $1,681,000 to push gross sales to $35,125,900.
“Overall, it was a good sale,” Keeneland Senior Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said. “We have to look at it in the context of the different format. If you look at through-the-ring numbers from last year’s four-day sale to this year’s three days, we have a much higher median. It was up 47% from $15,000 to $22,000, a significant showing that the lower end of the market has some substance to it. The RNA rate was a tick off; up 24% from 20% last year. This is all through-the-ring activity. We already have 38 horses sold for $1.6 million in post-sale with more to come. Average is off a tick with fewer horses. We’re down 13% in gross. So really results are in step with last year.”
“It’s encouraging in that nothing is overheated; the market is very steady, very consistent,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “Sellers for the most part have been very happy. It’s been very fair, and that’s something everyone is pleased with. Consistency is the key.”
Bloodhorse Daily Headlines — Saturday, January 18
Alberta-Bred Mare Faces Toughest Test Yet in G3 La Canada Stakes
Alberta-bred is a multiple champion and 13-time winner and she will get her biggest test at Santa Anita on January 19.
Jennifer Morrison | January 16, 2025
Article Courtesy Canadian Thoroughbred
Alberta-bred champion Big Hug faces the toughest test of her career when she competes this Sunday in the La Canada Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita in California. Santa Anita is resuming racing this week after forest fires led to the cancellation of racing last week.
The $100,000 La Canada is a 1 1/16 mile race on the dirt and it was won in 2019 by another western Canadian star, Escape Clause, a Sovereign award-winning mare. Other greats to have won the La Canada include Canadian champion Glorious Song, Lady’s Secret, Goodbye Halo and Chris Evert.
Big Hug, bred by Chalet Stable and owned by Rick Hedge and Lori Neyka, is in the barn of California trainer Val Brinkerhoff. The daughter of Mr. Big – Temeeka by Unusual Heat was champion two- and three-year-old in Alberta and is likely to be champion older mare for her 2024 season.
The brawny dark bay won six of nine races last year, four stakes races, and recently finished second in the Glendale Stakes at Turf Paradise. In total, Big Hug has 13 wins from 22 races and over $325,000 in earnings.
Sovereign Awards Clarfication
Last week’s article on BC horses up for Sovereign Awards this year may have been a little overenthusiastic. We would like to clarify that no horses have yet been “nominated” for the awards as voting ballots only went out recently. However, all horses mentioned in the piece are certainly eligible for a Sovereign Award and we are happy to make that clarification. Apologies for any irritation caused.