Canadian Derby

The Canadian Derby is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the Century Mile Racetrack and Casino in Leduc County, Alberta.^[1] A Grade III event held in August, it is open to three-year-old horses and is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile and a quarter (10 furlongs).

The race was the creation of future Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee R. James Speers and first run in 1930 at his Polo Park Racetrack in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Inaugurated as the Manitoba Stakes, it was restricted to Manitoba-bred horses until 1936 when the race was renamed the Manitoba Derby and made open to three-year-old horses bred in Canada. In 1941, the name was changed again to its present form as the Canadian Derby. In 1942, future Canadian and U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey Johnny Longden won this race.

As the Canadian Derby grew in prestige and its purse money increased, top horses from Toronto and Montreal began coming west to compete in the race. In 1937 Goldlure won Canada's most prestigious race, the King's Plate. For owner Harry Hatch, trainer Bill Bringloe would later ship the colt 1,300 miles by rail transport from Toronto and win the Derby. Budpath, another King's Plate winner, won the 1941 edition of the Canadian Derby. However, not all eastern-based horses have fared so well. In 1942, Ten To Ace was shipped in from Toronto by leading owner/trainer Harry Giddings Jr. The colt had won the King's Plate as well as the Prince of Wales Stakes and according to Time magazine was being called "the greatest Canadian horse of all time." Ten To Ace finished in last place in the Canadian Derby.^[2]

In 1956, Polo Park Racetrack was closed and the race was moved to Northlands Park in Edmonton, Alberta. In 2019, the race moved to its present location at the Century Mile Racetrack and Casino south of Edmonton.^[3]

The Canadian Derby was contested at 1 mile from 1930 to 1933, 1 ¹⁄₄ miles from 1934 to 1956, and 1 ³⁄₈ miles from 1957 until 2018. The race returned to 1 ¹⁄₄ miles in 2019 when it was moved to Century Mile Racetrack.

In 2017, Chief Know It All finished first but the jockey of runner-up Double Bear filed a claim of interference. When the claim was rejected by track stewards the matter was appealed to the Alberta Horse Racing Appeal Tribunal which in July 2018 ruled in favour of the owner of Double Bear.^[4] An appeal of the Tribunal's order resulted in an August 2018 Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta ruling that Chief Know It All had interfered and declared Double Bear the winner.^[5]

Established in 2023, the Canadian Derby is the second jewel of the Western Canadian Triple Crown.

Records

Most wins by a jockey:

• 6 - Rico Walcott (2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2022)

Most wins by an owner:

• 3 - Harry C. Hatch (1936, 1937, 1941)

Winners of the Canadian Derby since 2006

1. ^ Journeyman crossed the finish line first but was disqualified and placed second.^[6]
2. ^ Chief Know It All crossed the finish line first, with Double Bear and Trooper John deadheating for second. The connections of Double Bear lodged a claim foul against Chief Know It All for interference in the stretch, however the racing stewards disallowed the claim of foul. The owner of Double Bear appealed to the Horse Racing Alberta Appeal Tribunal, who after three separate hearings, would rule that Double Bear had in fact been interfered with by Chief Know It All. The Tribunal moved both Double Bear and Trooper John into a tie for first, and placed Chief Know It All seventh. The owners of Chief Know It All appealed to the Alberta Court Of Queen's Bench. On August 13th, 2019, their appeal was dismissed. The Court also declared Double Bear to be the sole winner, thereby breaking the deadheat with Trooper John. The owners of Chief Know It All then appealed to the Alberta Court of Appeal, however their appeal was dismissed on November 23, 2020. The owners of Chief Know It All then sought leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, however their application for leave was dismissed with costs on May 13, 2021.
3. ^ On February 22, 1978, the Alberta Supreme Court, Trial Division, allowed the appeal of the owner of R.J.'S Diamond from the Alberta Racing Commission, and reinstated R.J.'S Diamond as the winner of the race. There does not appear to be any Alberta Court of Appeal decision, which would be where any appeal of the reinstatement of R.J.'S Diamond as the winner would go.

Earlier winners

• 2005 - Alabama Rain
• 2004 - Organ Grinder
• 2003 - Raylene
• 2002 - Lady Shari
• 2001 - Fancy As
• 2000 - Scotman
• 1999 - Native Brass
• 1998 - A Fleet's Dancer
• 1997 - Smoky Cinder
• 1996 - Jan Alta
• 1995 - Sovacianto
• 1994 - Funboy
• 1993 - Cozzy Grey
• 1992 - Josh's Hero
• 1991 - Sounds Fabulous
• 1990 - Hurricane Benny
• 1989 - Haveigotadealforu
• 1988 - Elmtex
• 1987 - Steady Power
• 1986 - Slyly Gifted
• 1985 - Polynesian Flyer
• 1984 - Let's Go Blue
• 1983 - Victorious Lad
• 1982 - Exclusive Canadian
• 1981 - Frost King
• 1980 - Driving Home
• 1979 - All For Victory
• 1978 - Canadian Bill
• 1977 - Western Reason ^[c]
• 1976 - Laissez Passer
• 1975 - Pampas Host
• 1974 - Progressive Hope
• 1973 - Wing Span
• 1972 - Winning Red
• 1971 - Kim's Kid
• 1970 - Swinging Apache
• 1969 - Wyn D'Amour
• 1968 - Son Costume
• 1967 - Gilmore
• 1966 - Klondike Prince
• 1965 - Chariot Chaser
• 1964 - Quick Quick
• 1963 - Brother Leo
• 1962 - Western Morn
• 1961 - Galindo
• 1961 - General C
• 1960 - Count Lathum
• 1959 - Sonoma
• 1958 - Percy Yates
• 1957 - Spangled Jimmy
• 1956 - Argent
• 1955 - Loyalist
• 1954 - Treheme
• 1953 - Chain Reaction
• 1952 - Lord Strome
• 1951 - Beau Orage
• 1950 - Sir Strome
• 1949 - Yates Senior
• 1948 - Victory Gift
• 1947 - Sir Berrill
• 1946 - Palermo
• 1945 - Ferry Pilot
• 1944 - Gower Mon
• 1943 - Western Prince
• 1942 - Maginot Line
• 1941 - Budpath
• 1940 - Sir Trapseth
• 1939 - Larry Eckardt
• 1938 - Gowerlace
• 1937 - Goldlure
• 1936 - Sweepden
• 1935 - Nellie Quince
• 1934 - Caramar
• 1933 - Carhan Queen
• 1932 - Lady Marnock
• 1931 - Parisienne
• 1930 - Jack Whittier

See also

• List of Canadian flat horse races

Notes

1. ^ "Racing". Century Casinos. 2019-11-04. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
2. ^ "Sport: Ace Trumped". Time. July 13, 1942.
3. ^ Century Mile Racetrack and Casino opening announcement
4. ^ "Alberta horse-racing tribunal disqualifies Chief Know It All from 2017 Canadian Derby victory". Edmonton Sun. 2018-07-05. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
5. ^ "Hold your horses: New winner crowned in 88th Canadian Derby — two years after race was run". Star Edmonton. 2019-08-15. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
6. ^ "Explode awarded Canadian Derby win after bumper-car stretch drive with Journeyman"

References

• Wilson, Keith & Lussier, Antoine S. Off And Running - Horse Racing in Manitoba (1978) Peguis Publishers Limited ISBN 0-919566-61-8
• The Canadian Derby at Pedigree Query