Well, she did it again.
For the second straight year Big Hug is Alberta’s Horse of the Year.
The sublimely talented miss put on another clinic last year winning four of her five starts in Alberta including an eye-opening 12 lengths romp in the Fall Classic Distaff.
Other victories came in the Red McKenzie, the Red Smith and the Founders Distaff.
She also certainly wasn’t disgraced while also taking on Graded company at California where she ran five times.
“She’s back in training and is doing very well,” said veteran trainer Rick Hedge, 77, who owns Big Hug with Lorie and Martin Neyka’s Empire Equestrian.
“She’s been galloping since March.
“We’re in no hurry to race her. She needed a break and so did I.
“She probably won’t run again until the June 20 Shirley Vargo.
“Big Hug was getting a little tired towards the end of last year so we turned her out for the winter.
“She really hadn’t had a break in two years. She needed some R&R.”
In 32 career starts, Big Hug has won 17 races for earnings of $605,900,
This from a six-year-old mare who was bought at the Alberta Yearling Sale for just $3,500,
“I bid. Someone else bid. I bid again and that was it,” said Hedge, who as well as being a top trainer was previously one Alberta’s top jockeys. “The bidding stopped.”
Sired by Mr. Big, a prominent California stallion, who was a top five sire in California by progeny earnings in 2023, Big Hug is out of the mare Temeeku, who broke her maiden for no tag at Del Mar, California; Hedge was surprised when the bidding stopped so soon.
“No idea why there wasn’t more bidding. But I’m glad there wasn’t.”
Consigned by Stone Ranches and bred by Chalet Stables, Big Hug was also named Alberta’s Champion Older Mare for the second straight year. Big Hug was previously named Alberta’s Champion Two-Year-Old Filly and Alberta’s Champion Three-Year-Old Filly.
She’s been that good.
Hedge thinks Big Hug should have been undefeated last year in Alberta with her only loss coming in the Northands Distaff when she finished second to B.C.’s 2024 Horse of the Year Avana.
“Big Hug knows when she wins and she knows when she loses.
“She was mad after the Distaff. So was I. So was everybody.
“Avana got the jump on us. Raffy (jockey Zenteno Jr.) was still sitting when Avana found a big hole that opened up for her. Avana opened up three lengths on us and it was too much to overcome.
“Not taking anything away from Avana, who is a very nice mare, but she shouldn’t have beat her that day.”
Hedge said that Big Hug, who is “very level-headed and really suits her name. She always wants a big hug.”
As dominant as Big Hug was against the girls, Itsallgoodman was almost equally as powerful against older boys. Easily capturing Older Male Horse of the Year honours by winning five of his 10 starts - three of them (the Spangled Jimmy, CTHS Sale and Red Diamond) - in stakes races where he was all by himself winning those three stakes by a combined 20 lengths.
Itsallgoodman’s last three races in Alberta last year were particularly majestic winning an allowance race by four and three-quarter lengths before taking the Red Diamond by almost 10 lengths - despite getting left at the break - and the Sale stake by almost six lengths.
“He was never better than those last three races,” said Landry. “He was just getting better and better.
“If it wasn’t for Big Hug, Itsallgoodman probably would have been Horse of the Year,” he said of the son of Speightster, a top five U.S. second-crop sire, who won the Grade 1 Dwyer at Belmont, New York.
Speightster was sired by Speightstown out of the Danzig mare Dance Swiftly, who is a full sister to Canadian Horse of the Year and multiple champion Dance Smartly.
Trained by Alberta leading trainer Gonzalo Anderson and his partner Crystal Cates, Itsallgoodman was also voted Alberta Champion Sprinter and Champion Alberta-bred.
Despite being born with a crooked right left leg, Landry said “I thought he stood out at thee Yearling Sale.
“I watched some videos of him before the Sale and as soon as I saw him move I knew I was buying that horse.
“The crooked leg was never an issue. Sierra Leone had crooked legs and it certainly never bothered him,” he said of the runner-up in the 2024 Kentucky Derby - in a three-horse photo to Mystik Dan - and then by half a length to Forever Young in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Landry, a Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association wasn’t able to watch Itsallgoodman’s romp in the Red Diamond. Six days before that Fall Classic performance Landry broke a vertebrae in his back when, on a very foggy day, he drove through a T-intersection.
Purchased at the Alberta Yearling Sale for $22,000 by Landry, who has had many outstanding horses, Itsallgoodman is trained by Gonzalo Anderson and his partner Crystal Cates.
“Horses like Itsallgoodman don’t come around very often,” said Landry. “He’s a huge personality in our barn.”
STOCK REPORT - In other awards at Friday night’s Night of Champions - the day before Century Mile’s thoroughbred season began, Relaxgodoitramone was the Two-Year-Old Colt of the year.
Winning four of his six starts for owner/breeder Highfield Investment Group, Relaxgodoitramone took the Canadian Juvenile, Alberta Premiers Futurity and the CTHS Sale stakes.
Trained by Tim Rycroft, Relaxgodoitramone also finished second in the Kindergarten when he hit the starting gate pretty hard and had to be hustled up to get the lead.
“It was enough to leave him high and dry when (stablemate) Big Curl came up to him,” said Rycoft.
Hiway Fortynine was voted Champion Two-Year-Old Filly after winning the CTHS Sale Stakes and The Sturgeon River. She was also stakes placed in Freedom Of The City for owner Al Pitchko and trainer Rod Cone.
Champion three-year-old male is Pioneer Storm King, who won the Count Lathum and was fourth in the Canadian Derby after leading for much of the early going. Pioneer Storm King is owned by Tiffany Kubas and trained by Rob Henson, who shipped his stable to Alberta from B.C. last year with great success.
Gee I’m Foxy emerged as Champion Three-Year-Old Filly for owner/trainer Barry Hodgson. Gee I’m Foxy crossed the finish line on top in the Sonoma which she won by eight lengths, the Chariot Chaser, which she won by almost eight lengths and an allowance race where she toyed with her opposition winning by 11 lengths. She also crossed the finish line in front in the B.C. Oaks only to be disqualified and placed second. Cheryl Humbke trained Gee I’m Foxy most of the year before the filly was sent to the U.S. where she is currently running.
Quarterback Dak was voted Claimer of the Year after five wins, three seconds and a third.
In individual awards, Dane Nelson was the leading jockey, Pierre Esquirol was leading breeder and, in their first full season racing in Alberta, Willow Creek Farms were the leading owner.
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Inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2017.
Author: The Turcottes: The Remarkable Story of a Horse Racing Dynasty.
