Hastings' Weekly Winter Update
More terribly sad news to relate this this week as we pay tribute to a force of nature and the "Queen Mum" of Hastings, Darlene Smith
Darlene was very much the “Belle of the Ball” when we gathered earlier in the year at the annual awards dinner.
And, as usual, Darlene, along with her family, was there to congratulate all of the award winners. However, in what was clearly a surprise to her, she was also presented with the HBPA Diamond Award in recognition of her invaluable commitment to the sport of horse racing in British Columbia.
Needless to say, the announcement of Darlene as the award’s recipient brought the crowd to its feet, as well as a tear to our eye. Finally, the Hastings’ racing family had the opportunity to cheer one of its greatest cheerleaders.
HBPA President David Milburn said: “Our sincerest condolences go to Darlene’s ever-present partner Bill, her daughter Denise, granddaughters Lauren and Heather and, of course, the rest of the family. Darlene is a huge loss to everyone at Hastings. Her constant support for racing behind the scenes was often unheralded, but never unappreciated. She was a unique character who did so very much for us all and her loss will be keenly felt for some time to come.”
Words, of course, are close to useless when we lose people so dear to us. However, the tribute which follows, which was first printed in the Awards’ Night program, hopefully goes a little way towards capturing the spirit of a remarkable woman who will not soon be forgotten.
Darlene Smith:
A person more synonymous with racing at Hastings would not be easy to find.
Whether holding court from her private box on almost every race day or quietly, behind the scenes, doing so much to support the backstretch community, Darlene Smith was an ever-present supporter of racing in British Columbia since first wandering down the hill with her father from Renfrew Street as an eight-year-old to sift through discarded betting tickets.
Darlene, along with her ever-present family and long-time partner Bill, is woven into the fabric of Hastings. A courageous and determined force of nature, she had a kind word for all and left everyone she met feeling better for the experience.
Darlene’s extraordinary bravery has been a great inspiration to all who knew her. She continued to be an ever-present source of help and advice throughout her illness and it is clear that her tireless efforts on behalf of the backstretch will continue to make a significant impact for some time to come. We are all better for knowing her.
Darlene’s daughter Denise Praill, who has certainly picked up the torch carried by Darlene for so long and, as a HBPA Director, also does so much behind the scenes for Hastings, posted her own tribute to ‘mom’ this week and has graciously allowed us to re-publish here.
Denise wrote: “Mom famously loved horses and the Hastings Racecourse community, as well as the sunshine of Santa Anita and Del Mar and annual trips to the Breeders’ Cup with good friends. She and Bill spent countless hours dancing at the Legion each weekend and relaxing at Birch Bay. And mom worked years with amazing colleagues that became friends, first at BC Hydro, then BC Gas and Terasen.
More than anything, Mom loved family and friends and spoiling all of us with her generosity and family favorite recipes. Her love for granddaughters Lauren and Heather, Nana’s winning entry of #1 & #1A, was incomparable. If you were lucky enough to swing by the box at the track or bump into mom at the mall, you’d likely have to flip through a photo album of the kids’ most recent special event or family vacation before you could escape, lol. (But if you happened to be online, you got the benefit of the "Warning: proud Nana moment ahead" label!)
Queen Elizabeth said “grief is the price we pay for love.” The sadness we feel and will continue to feel in the coming weeks is a testament to the love our family has for our very special mom, nana, wife, friend and the ‘Queen of Hastings.’ There are so, so many good times we've had together – we know in time these memories will flood away the sadness.”
Details of a Celebration of Life for Darlene will be announced at a later time.
2024 HBPA Annual General Meeting Notice
HBPA BC AGM will be held as a Virtual Meeting on:
Thursday, November 21, 2024, at 7:00 pm, via Zoom.
The meeting link will open at 6:45pm to allow time for all to get online. You will access with a simple link that will be located within an email that will be sent to all on November 20.
The meeting is being presented virtually to allow members to attend no matter where they are. The meeting will be moderated to allow all questions and comments to be heard and answered by the HBPA BC officers and directors.
You will need to be a registered member of HBPA BC to receive the meeting link. Registration is done via the HBPA BC website, the same registration that was used for the recent election. You do not need to re-register if you registered for the October 2024 HBPA BC Election. You will need to be registered to vote on any resolution and so if you did not previously register, please register your membership at hbpabc.ca
Any questions or inquiries please make to Neil Stajkowski, HBPA-BC Secretary/Treasurer at HBPANEILS@gmail.com, or 604.831.8408 and go to www.hbpabc.ca for more meeting related information.
Women in Thoroughbred Racing
Featuring Barbara Anderson-Heads, Jerri Robertson, Haley Moreno Andrade, Brittany Gourdeau, Madison Zielke, Ashley Gilkyson and Alivia Kettleson - just a few of the many women trainers, owners, jockeys and breeders in the Alberta Thoroughbred racing industry — Courtesy Horse Racing in Alberta
Tapiture, Top Sire in US, Moves to Alberta
The son of Tapit has progeny earnings in 2024 of over $7 million and he has moved from Darby Dan Farm in Kentucky to Highfield Stock Farm
Highfield Stock Farm is thrilled to announce that Tapiture will stand at the farm for the 2025 breeding season.
A son of the breed-defining stallion Tapit, who has sired earners exceeding $211 million and produced leading North American sires such as Constitution, Tapiture embodies exceptional quality in the breeding shed.
On the racetrack, Tapiture displayed remarkable ability and durability, amassing $1,536,820 in earnings, including graded stakes victories at ages two, three, and four, as well as a notable second-place finish behind the brilliant Goldencents in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, where he achieved a career-high E figure of 123. Tapiture boasts 11 graded stakes wins or placings, solidifying his status as a top competitor.
With a proven pedigree and an outstanding performance record, Tapiture has also excelled as a sire.
His progeny have achieved remarkable success on the track, accumulating over $35 million in earnings, with over $7 million in 2024 alone. He has sired 40 black-type winners from six crops, including millionaire and Grade 1 performer Jesus’ Team. Tapiture has consistently outperformed top sires like American Pharoah, Constitution, and Curlin in producing winners, with a career high of 162 in 2023 and 158 already in 2024.
Tapiture has 14 black-type horses this year, eight of which are black-type winners.
“Tapiture previously stood at Darby Dan Farm in Kentucky, where he passed down his speed and durability to his progeny. With 40 black-type winners and average earnings per starter exceeding $68,000, Tapiture will be uniquely positioned in the stallion market in Alberta to provide breeders with exceptional quality,” said Adrian Munro of Highfield Stock Farm.
“Tapiture is a top-class stallion who produces superb racehorses. He was very successful at Darby Dan, and while we will miss him, we are delighted that Highfield Stock Farm, a highly professional Canadian operation, will continue his stallion career,” said John Phillips of Darby Dan Farm.
Entries Open for CTHS Ontario Digital Mixed Sale
Get your entries in for the first-ever digital sale for CTHS Ontario, the Mixed Sale which will run Nov. 21 to 26.
For the first time, CTHS Ontario will conduct the fall mixed sale as an online auction featuring:
Weanlings
Yearlings
Horses of Racing Age
Broodmares
Stallion Seasons
CTHS Ontario: “This will be a new experience for everyone and we are confident that our members, breeders, sellers and buyers will appreciate the new direction for the mixed sale and the many benefits and advantages an online sale offers.
We prioritize transparency, trust and an outstanding experience, allowing you to view pedigrees, photos, and videos all from the convenience of your home.”
Entries close on November 13 - See CTHS ONT for more details
Dairen Edwards Celebration of Life
New Stride News
