Edmonton just got a lot closer to Vancouver.
With the closure of B.C.’s Hastings Park - after conducting horse racing since 1889 in Vancouver - B.C. thoroughbred trainers and owners have flocked to Century Mile which opens its doors for the 2026 racing season on Saturday afternoon at 3:45 p.m.
“Over 100 thoroughbreds have come to Alberta from B.C.” said Dawson Guhle, general manager of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society Alberta.
“Good horses and good horsemen.”
The influx of B.C. horses has meant that Century Mile has accepted about 720 stall applications this year. Last year there were about 620 horses.
“It will increase the competition which will help our sport here.”
“It’s sad for B.C. - a real shame - but it’s good for Alberta,” said Alberta trainer Rod Cone, who has won three Canadian Derbies.
“It’s going to be a lot tougher to win races in Alberta.
“And the handle is bound to go up because the teletheaters will still be open in B.C.
“It won’t hurt us that’s for sure.”
Among the B.C. stables at Century Mile are Barb Heads - five times B.C.’s leading trainer - who has 29 stalls - and veteran Mel Snow, who started training in 1976 and who has 763 career wins for earnings of $9.2 million including multiple stakes winner Timely Stitch.
Snow has brought 20 horses to Edmonton.
Also arriving is Pat Jarvis, who has 469 career wins including Canada Sovereign Award Three-Year-Old Filly finalist Chi Chi Time, who went four-for-four in B.C. last year with three stakes wins including the CTHS Sales stake by nine lengths and the Hong Kong Jockey Club Handicap by six lengths.
Jarvis has 15 horses. So does Dino Condilenios, who is four wins short of 600 wins.
In addition to the aforementioned trainers several B.C. trainers like Rob Van Overschot, who is no stranger to Edmonton having won two Canadian Derbies - with Hurricane Benny in 1990 and, 31 years later, with Unchacteristic - and Robbie Henson, who had a breakout campaign last year - got the jump and came to Alberta last year with solid success.
Uncharacteristic and Hurricane Benny aren’t the only Derby winners Van Overschot has trained. In 2002 he won both the Alberta and Manitoba Derbies with Lord Shogun. Henson trained for last year’s leading Alberta owner Willow Creek Farm.
“We’re going to be close to full,” said Dawson, who initially established himself as a Thoroughbred breeder with the purchase of two mares at a 2012 Fasig-Tipton sale and who was a former goalie in the WHL with the Regina Pats and Red Deer Rebels.
“There’s good money at stake. We built some momentum and if we can ride that we can make a helluva run.
“There’s a lot of optimism and the competition will great.”
“For sure,” said Mike Vanin, Executive Director of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association of Alberta. “Historically, B.C. has had better horses than Alberta.
“Our local trainers are going to have to have their running shoes on.”
There are also a lot of two-year-olds this year.
“We’ve got 70-plus two-year-olds at Century Mile which is quite a bit higher than in previous years,” said Vanin.
“There’s excitement in the air;” said Kent Verlik, Chief Executive Officer for Horse Racing Alberta.
“We are looking forward to opening day as it is always a milestone, and this year feels especially strong with the depth of talent and participation coming into the province.
“There is real excitement heading into the season as we welcome racing participants from British Columbia and strengthen the overall racing product in Alberta.”
More horses translates into bigger fields. Bigger fields translate to more wagering. Simply, bettors don’t want to bet on short fields.
“Healthy field sizes matter and we’re seeing encouraging signs that the 2026 season will deliver even more competitive races for horseplayers and racing fans,” said Verlik.
Heads is looking forward to another big year especially if workouts are any indication.
“Her horses have been firing bullets in the mornings,” said Dawson, to which Heads said “They’ve all adapted well and they’ve all bounced out of their works really good.”
Some B.C. horses shipped south to Washington’s Emerald Downs. Others went to Winnipeg’s Assiniboia Downs. But most came to Alberta.
“It will be a good opportunity to have more racing,” said Heads, who said she has some nice three-year-old maidens that didn’t get a chance to run and five babies including a half sister to At Attention - first or second in 22 of 44 starts including the Dale Saunders Speed to Spare in his last appearance.
“Last year at Hastings we were just sitting in the barns because there weren’t a lot of opportunities to race. Or you were running in spots you didn’t want to be in just to get them a race,” said Heads.
“And I really like Century Mile’s track. I’m looking forward to watching them all run on a mile track where there is extra space and a long stretch.”
Heads, who has been a very successful trainer, has made several trips to Alberta over the years. She won two of the last three Canadian Derbies with August Rain in 2024 and Abeliefinthislivin in 2023.
Jockey Amadeo Perez rode both of them and he will bolster the riding colony here this year. “He’s a really hard working guy and a really good rider,” said Heads, who has also sent out the winner of the Northlands Park Distaff five years in a row.
Training since she was in her early twenties, Heads is now 67.
“A long time,” said Heads, who was a multiple leading trainer in B.C.
There was little doubt what Heads was destined to do with her life.
Her father, Robert ‘Cy’ Anderson, her mother, June Anderson, and her brothers - Rob and Michael were all very successful trainers.
“I tried working in a grocery store but I kept thinking to myself ‘What am I doing here?’” Said Heads.
“That lasted three months and I was back to the horses and never looked back,” said Heads, who also taught youngsters how to ride show horses and hunter/jumpers.
Heads has had a lot of magical horses in her training career: B.C. Derby winners Halo Steven and Majesticality; Touching Promise, who won almost $400,000, Sunburst, who won five times, was second five times and third once in just 11 career starts, Trick of the North, At Attention, Apprehend and Avana - the latter a finalist for Canada’s Older Mare of the Year after winning five of seven races last year including the Northlands Distaff over Big Hug, who is in the running for Friday’s Alberta Horse of the Year announcement.
“Avana is good,” said Heads of the winner of 11 of 15 starts. “She’s had a couple of works and looked great.”
Avana put on a sensational performance last year at Century Mile winning the Century Casino Oaks after stumbling at the break and coming from way back.
But none match Infinite Patience, who won 22 of her 32 starts including, at one point, winning 10 in a row and 13 of 14.
“An amazing horse,” said Heads of the winner of $700,000, who is owned by Edmonton Oiler forward Ryan Nugent Hopkins. “Definitely the best horse I’ve trained.”
Arguably, Infinite Patience’s best race was the 2022 Northlands Distaff - a race she won there times - this time by seven lengths in a time of 1:33.65 which was a full second faster than the previous track record.
Not a big filly Heads said Infinite Patience is “extremely athletic.”
Now a broodmare, Infinite Patience’s first foal is an early February colt by Hard Spun, runner-up in the 2007 Kentucky Derby and a career winner of $26 million. Hard Spun is now excelling as a sire with 15 Grade 1 winners. The colt was foaled in B.C.
“He had a tough go starting out but he’s doing really well now,” said Heads, who has won 757 races for purse earnings of $13.4 million.
“I don’t have any horses running on Saturday’s opening day card but I’m really looking forward to the meet beginning.
“I think the racing is going to be very exciting.”
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Author: The Turcottes: The Remarkable Story of a Horse Racing Dynasty.
Hall of Fame Inductee.