Jerry Stojans and William Leech are not only sitting in the cat bird seat they are also on course to meet in what would be an epic clash.

Stojans is the owner and Leech is the trainer for what are easily two of the best quarter horses in the province.

Pretty Sweet Jess is a three year-old filly who has won six in a row including the Horsemen’s Derby and, in her last appearance, the Century Mile Derby Challenge - both at Century Mile.

Flight Club is a six-year-old who has won seven of his last eight starts. His only loss in that span was when he stumbled at the start to lose all chance in the Century Mile Sprint Stakes on June 29.

“In quarter horse racing one little mistake and it’s over,” said Leech. “But he redeemed himself this past Sunday when he won the Bonus Challenge Series in Grande Prairie.”

Winning by a length and a quarter it was the 15th win in 22 career starts for the California-bred son of multiple stakes sire Foose.

Stablemate Getit Foose finished second.

Flight Club’s time for the 350 yards was 18.141 seconds.

Pretty Sweet Jess lost her first two career starts and hasn’t lost since.

She also owns the track record at Calgary’s Century Downs getting 400 yards in 19.762. That was set last September and came despite breaking fourth.

“They are both terrific horses,” said Leech.

“Flight Club is a really good horse. Phenomenal really. He gives 110 per cent every time he runs.

“He made just one mistake when he stumbled out of the gate in June. Most of the time he doesn’t make mistakes. He breaks so fast that he gets out of trouble right away.

“He’s getting better and better.”

And Pretty Sweet Jess whose last race was an easy win in the June 29 $53,000 Derby Challenge?

“Very nice mare. She’s more relaxed than Flight Club. When she goes into the starting gate she never moves.

“Flight Club is a big, strong, good looking horse. He can get rambunctious in the paddock. He’s all business there. He knows when he’s in the paddock he’s there to do his job. But when he goes back to the barn he’s a puppy dog again. He’s a sweetheart in the barn. He loves attention; loves people.”

If things go right Flight Club and Pretty Sweet Jess it’s not inconceivable that they could face each other.

“It won’t be this year; I won’t be running Pretty Sweet Jess against older horses. But next year who knows?

“It would be interesting to see which horse is better.”

It might just be the filly.

Ricardo Moreno, who is married to Leech’s daughter Haley, rides Flight Club; J.B. Botello rides Pretty Sweet Jess.

“I’m lucky,” said Leech. “I’ve got the best jockeys in Alberta. That really helps.”

Leech, who also races a few thoroughbreds, also has a strong support staff.

“Haley is my assistant trainer. She makes it all click. We’re a good team.”

Leech, 63, who took out his trainer’s license when he was 17, has lost count of how many times he has been Alberta’s top quarter horse trainer but estimates it to be 35 times.

What’s the secret to his success? That’s an easy question for Leech.

“It’s people like Jerry Stojans bringing me good horses,” Leech said in a heartbeat.

“Training for Jerry has been a real pleasure. It sure makes my job a lot easier.”

Flight Club and Pretty Sweet Jess aren’t the only good horses in Leech’s barn of 17 quarter horses and five thoroughbreds.

Also owned by Stojans, who is President of the Alberta Quarter Horse Association, there is also Fired, who set a track record at Century Mile for 350 yards when he won in 17.583 on May 10 while winning by two and a half lengths in a stake.

Fired has two wins and five seconds and a third in just nine career outings.

Then, there was Free Thought. Incredibly he won 18 straight races from June 10, 2017 to August 15, 2020 - which was a world record that was only discovered because Haley started digging.

The previous record was 15 set by Snowbound Superstar in 2009.

“We knew it was special but until recently we didn’t realize just how special it was,” said William.

“Haley kept telling me it had to be close to a record and I kept saying ‘Don’t be silly.’”

Free Thought is now a hunter jumper.

Three years ago, there was Destello De Luna, who was named Canadian champion in 2021 at the AQHA Racing Champions ceremony in Oklahoma City.

And then there was Toughie, who won 17 of 26 starts.

“Toughie qualified for a million-dollar race in California. She won the Trial and then finished fifth in the Final.

“She was also third in a Challenge Race in Los Alamitos, California. The horse that beat her was a world champion.

Charles (Stojan) owned her too.

As for the state of quarter horse racing in Alberta Leech said “This year all the numbers are up and last year was better than the year before.

“We’re definitely more solid than five years ago that’s for sure. It’s all good and a lot of that has been because of racing at Century Mile and Century Downs.”

Humble, Leech said “We’ve been lucky over the years.

Lucky? No. When you can train those kind of horses and win an estimated 35 leading trainer titles it’s not luck. Luck is winning one photo finish. This is magic.

“It’s a lot of hard work but it’s very rewarding when they run good for you,” said Leech.

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Author: The Turcottes: The Remarkable Story of a Horse Racing Dynasty.