It was a weekend of stakes races, trials and a big derby day at The Horses At Evergreen Park.

Biggest race of the weekend was the J.D.A. Grande Prairie Derby on Sunday.

And it stayed Grande Prairie!

The Hybrid, co-owned by locals Jason and Kelsey Coney and trained by Jason, out-raced four others in the one mile run taking home $7,287 of the $13,750 purse, a trophy and a nice blanket presented by sponsor Jarvis Dawson of J.D.A. Oilfield Hauling.

Azee Rules was initially named runner-up after battling The Hybrid to the wire, but a complaint was laid and upheld. Anello was placed second with Azee Rules third followed by Irish Era and Pretalk. Pretalk is owned and trained by Beaverlodge's Jack Bolin.

Trevor Smith, the third leading jockey heading into the weekend, was in the saddle on the winner.

While the biggest, the JDA Grande Prairie Derby wasn't the only important race on the weekend.

And jockey Blanford Stewart was in the saddle for three of them on Saturday.

He rode Lady Amelia to a win in the ACTRA Alberta Bred Stakes for fillies and mares and then saddled up again to win on Why Not Live in the ACTRA Alberta Bred Takes for colts and geldings. Grande Prairie's Nellie Pigeau is trainer of Why Not Live. Both races were over six furlongs.

He finished up the night guiding Teague Eleven to first in the first race of the mile-long Marathon Series. That horse is trained by Nellie Pigeau and owned by Payton Pigeau. Second of three Marathon Series races is July 27.

Sunday started with two Adequan Derby Challenge Trials races.

Papas Coleen won the first one with Trevor Simpson in the saddle. The horse is trained by Grande Prairie's Darcy Hawkes and owned by Donalda Cochrane of Fort St. John.

Singles Cruise, owned by Janice and Barry Sather of Beaverlodge, was favored in that race, but was scratched with a foot abscess.

In the second Adequan Derby Challenge Trials race You Have No Equals was the winner with Dwight Lewis in the saddle. Both races were over 400 yards with a purse of $4,000.

The Adequan Derby Challenge final is on July 28.

Race 1 of the Distaff Series was held Sunday with Silent Auction and jockey Orlando Foster, taking first in the 5 1/2 furlongs run for $7,000 in prize money. Race 2 goes July 28 and finale August 18.

This coming weekend ishighlight with the first Weiner Dog Derby and a hot dog eating contest on Sunday the 21st.

The following weekend (Sunday, July 28) the Alberta Derby is being held. Last year four horses from the Alberta Derby at Evergreen Park advanced to compete in the Canadian Derby in Edmonton. VIP Brunch tickets for the Alberta Derby are available at www.evergreenpark.ca or at the Evergreen Park office in the TARA Centre.

The Horses At Evergreen Park continues weekend until August 25.

So far, so good.

A second place finish by Evergreen Park Racing Club horse Mon Mousse at The Horses At Evergreen Park on J.D.A. Raceway on Friday has gotten the group off to a good start at The Horses At Evergreen Park.

The eight-year-old California-born was in it from the start over seven furlongs in what ended up being a two-horse race in a four-horse field (with one scratch).

Both Mon Mousse, trained by Kathy McNally, and eventual winner Zar's Star broke from the pack earlier with Mon Mousse doing the chasing.

First time past the grandstand Zar's Star had a length lead, which turned into about five lengths by the time they had completed the first turn. Mon Mousse, with jockey Carl Hebert on board, chased and narrowed the gap enough to make it interesting coming down the stretch, but Zar's Star held on at the finish winning by about three lengths.

Zar's Star is owned by Grande Prairie's Lois McAleney and is trained by GP's Nellie Pigeau.

He's Big Time, also trained by Pigeau, was third two lengths back of Mon Mousse and We Taught Ed finished fourth well off the pace.

The Club's second horse, Why Frank, gets his chance to impress the group when he hits the track on Saturday.

He's entered in a seven furlongs race against seven others. That race is No. 3 on the card and leaves the gates at 7:20 p.m.

First post goes at 6:30 p.m. and there are seven races on the card.

Sunday is one of the biggest days of the season and includes the J.D.A. Grande Prairie Derby with over $13,000 up for grabs in purse money.

The Pines Family Restaurant and Pines Restaurant & Casino are open before and after racing.

The waiting is over!

Evergreen Park Racing Club 2019 members will be able to watch both of their horses compete this weekend at The Horses At Evergreen Park.

Mon Mousse hits the track on Friday and Why Frank is out of the gates on Saturday.

Four other horses will be trying to out-run Mon Mousse when they leave the gates at 8:10 p.m. in race No. 5 on Friday.

The race is over seven furlongs with a purse of $4,050 and a claiming price of $2,000.

Mon Mousse, with Carl Hebert in the saddle, leaves out of gate No. 2 while He's Big Time leaves from No. 1; Esteem's Dream from No. 3; We Taught Ed from No. 4; and Zar's Star from No. 5.

Hebert is also in the saddle over Why Frank on Saturday.

There are eight horses in that race. Starting from gate No. 1 they are Master's Bluff, Wood Machine, Herculan, Klondike Ike, Red Wings, Endless Courage, Prairie Plan and then Why Frank on the outside in No. 8.

The race is over seven furlongs with a purse of $4,500.

It is race No. 3 at 7:20 p.m.

GOOD START FOR GP'S PIGEAU

Grande Prairie's Nellie Pigeau walked off with the Top Trainer award after The Horses At Evergreen Park's two-month summer run in 2018.

After the first weekend of racing for 2019 - Saturday and Sunday at J.D.A. Raceway - Pigeau is on track for back-to-back awards.

The veteran trainer had seven horses entered on the weekend and left Gordon Badger Stadium with three wins, a second, third and two fourths. There were 12 races over the two days at Evergreen Park.

Two of those Pigeau wins came on Saturday - Swift Sally Swift and Olddogs N Children in six furlong races.

On Sunday, Awesomeagainagain got her a win in a 5 1/2 furlong run.

Local trainer/owner Jack Bolin also did well on the opening weekend.

He had two wins, a second, a third, a fourth and a fifth.

Both wins came on Sunday - Uncle Kimo in a 6 1/2 furlong race and Major Magic over four furlongs.

Pigeau's main competition for the award last year was Lyle Magnuson, who also had three wins, including a victory in the biggest race of the weekend.

A horse he trains and owns, Doc Radke, won the $7,210 Sprint Series opener in the last race of the weekend on Sunday. Pigeau's horse Naomi's Gift was fourth in that race.

Racing continues this weekend - Friday, Saturday and Sunday - with the feature race being the J.D.A. Grande Prairie Derby on Sunday. Opening post Friday and Saturday is 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Fans are invited to bid on horse-related artwork created by local artists. Proceeds from the silent auction will go to the Grande Prairie Injured Jockey Foundation.

There is no admission fee and the Pines Restaurant & Casino and Pines Family Restaurant are open before and after the races.

If you’re a horse owner looking for a place to run your quarter horses or thoroughbreds this summer look no further north than J.D.A. Raceway at Evergreen Park in Grande Prairie.

The Horses At Evergreen Park is a 20-day smorgasbord of events, racing and other, held on weekends for the months of July and August in a picturesque setting of pines just south of a city of almost 70,000 people. First race is Saturday, July 6.

You can view the Stakes Program here .

J.D.A. Raceway has a clay base and sand surface and is considered one of the safest, and horse-friendly, tracks in North America.

“Over 37 years ago the board members of the Grande Prairie, Agricultural and Exhibition Society built Evergreen Park in one of the most beautiful places on earth,” says long-time track manager Doug Love. “They acquired the proper equipment to maintain the track. With the proper equipment, and a commitment from board members and management, it makes my job easier to make this track what it is today.”

This spring work, including hundreds of loads of new material, was completed on the track. It will be the second time the track has undergone a revamp since Love took over in 2008.

“Evergreen Park has invested in its race track to make sure it is kind to horses,” says Love, whose work is so cherished he was at one time the World Professional Chuckwagon Association main man making sure tracks where the WPCA performed could be the best they could be.

Evergreen Park is considered a jewel in the forest and sits on 1,200 sandy acres. Besides a 2,700-seat stadium that includes a family restaurant, it also has an adults-only restaurant and a casino – the Pines Restaurant & Casino – which is open daily 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Evergreen Park has the largest convention centre, the TARA Centre, in northern Alberta and hosts over 600 large and small events annually.

Horse owners can cater to their animals while housing them in modern covered barns/stalls. Hundreds of horses can be housed comfortably. There is also camping facilities for those involved in racing with electricity and water and a dumping station.

The area offers all the amenities of a mid-sized city including art gallery, museum, indoor and outdoor pools, dozens of restaurants and bars, a movie theatre with 10 screens, fitness centres, paved trails winding through the centre of the city, two championship golf courses within minutes of the Park, lakes and rivers and lots of outdoor activities including walking and riding trails throughout the Park.

The newest dinosaur museum in the world, the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum, is just minutes west of the city in Wembley.

One of the highlights of the racing season is the Alberta Derby – being held on Sunday, July 28 this year. Four horses from last year’s Derby competed in the Canadian Derby in Edmonton.

The Grande Prairie Derby, like the Alberta Derby a longer race for thoroughbreds, is being held on July 14 this year while the Mr. Mike’s Paint The Park Purple – Race For The Cure goes on the final day of racing August 25.

Evergreen Park will be hosting the Bank of America Evergreen Park Championship Challenge (440 yards); Adequan Evergreen Park Derby Challenge (400 yards); John Deere Evergreen Park Juvenile Challenge (350 yards); Evergreen Park Distaff Challenge (400 yards); and the Evergreen Park Distance Challenge (870 yards) this summer. 

“The Alberta Quarter Horse Racing Association and the American Quarter Horse Association have worked in conjunction with Evergreen Park for many, many years, bringing the Challenge races to the Evergreen Park each season,” said Evergreen Park Racing Manager Pat Hill.

The Challenge races at Evergreen Park are used as a regional qualifier with the winners advancing to the Bank of America Challenge Championship at The Downs in Albuquerque, NM on October 26. Over $100,000 in purse money comes along with the five races with the biggest being the Bank of America Championship at $35,000 American.

Altogether, between trials and finals, there are 28 stakes-related races this year.

There is no admission fee to watch The Horses At Evergreen Park. Except for Friday, July 5, racing goes Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until Sunday, August 4. It then switches to Saturdays and Sundays only until the finale on August 25. All Sunday post times are 1 p.m. while Friday and Saturday first post times in July are 6:30 p.m. and then 6 p.m. in August. There are no lights at the track, but in the summer northern Alberta days are very long.

Spring “training” for the Evergreen Park Racing Club 2019 continued on the Circuit A track at Edmonton’s Century Mile Race Track & Casino on Thursday as the three Club horses prepare for their Circuit B season at The Horses At Evergreen Park in Grande Prairie in July and August.

For the second time in two weeks Club horse Why Frank hit the track and for the second time there was no win, place or show for the Kentucky-born 10-year-old.

On Thursday in an eight-horse field over seven furlongs Why Frank ended up fifth – 6 ¾ lengths behind winner Stockwatcher. On June 1 Why Frank was fourth in his first race in Edmonton.

On Thursday, Why Frank chased through the final turn within striking distance of the leaders, but then faded into the stretch. He had moved up to as close as fourth halfway through the race five lengths from the lead.

Jockey Prayven Badrie was on board, helping the Club earn $178 for the fifth place finish.

It was Why Frank’s eighth start of the season (six of them in Arizona including a fifth for the Club on April 22) and 78th of his career.

A couple of local owners had better luck.

Owner/trainer Tom Rycroft was second with Factored In while a horse co-owned by local chuckwagon driver Mitch Sutherland, called Maggie’s Day, was third.

The only local win on Thursday was a horse named Proud and Loud, trained by Tim Rycroft, in the sixth race of the day over 6 ½ furlongs.

On Sunday the Club looks to get back in the winner’s circle when Club horse My Samurai Warrior leaves the gates at 3:37 p.m. in a one mile race for a purse of $11,500. You can watch and bet on that race, at many others from around North America, at the Pines Restaurant & Casino. The Pines is open 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

The first time My Samurai Warrior stepped onto the track in Edmonton the 10-year-old Kentucky-born gelding was a winner, earning the Club $5,340 in a six furlongs battle against five other horses.

On Sunday he is again up against five other horses – with two local connections.

Local owner Jack Bolin has Empire Ruler entered in the race while owner/trainer Tom Rycroft is hoping Dare To Enter will finish first.

It will be My Samurai Warrior’s 54th start of his career and fourth of the season, with three of those in Arizona. He has won $237,670. Badrie is again in the saddle for the Club horse this weekend.

Local owners/trainers are entered in races both at Century Mile and at Rocky Mountain Turf Club in Lethbridge this weekend.

To check out when they race visit the Equibase site here.

All the Century Mile and Lethbridge races will be shown on the screens at the Pines. There are two betting machines and programs available for all the tracks featured.

The Evergreen Park Racing Club 2019 will be looking for two in a row when Why Frank steps onto the dirt at Century Mile Race Track & Casino in Edmonton on Thursday, June 13.

On June 2, the last time a Club horse hit the track in Edmonton, My Samurai Warrior crossed the line in front, giving the Club its first victory.

Post time for Why Frank’s race is 7:47 p.m. and the 10-year-old Kentucky-born gelding is up against seven other horses in a seven furlongs race with a purse of $8,900. It’s a claiming race with a $5,000 value placed on the horses in the field.

There will be one familiar face at the gate when Why Frank leaves.

A horse named Spectrus was involved in Why Frank’s first-ever Canadian race in Edmonton on June 1.

Spectrus finished first in that mile-long run while Why Frank was fourth – 2 ¼ lengths back of Spectrus and 2 ¾ back of winner Boxer Boy.

Besides Why Frank, who leaves from Gate 6, there is some other local interest in the race.

Maggie’s Guy, out of Gate 4, is co-owned by local chuckwagon driver Mitch Sutherland and Factored In, from Gate 7, is owned and trained by Tom Rycroft.

The other Club horse, Mon Mousse, and My Samurai Warrior could get starts this weekend at Century Mile before moving to Grande Prairie for The Horses At Evergreen Park weekends July-August starting July 6.

MY SAMURAI WARRIOR GETS FIRST CLUB WIN

The start wasn’t so good, but it was the finish that was impressive Sunday afternoon at Century Mile Race Track & Casino in Edmonton.

Evergreen Park Racing Club 2019 horse My Samurai Warrior, starting out of the No. 6 gate, stumbled at the start of the six furlongs run and fell behind early in the six-horse field chasing a purse of $8,900 in the third race of the day.

That was the only mistake the 10-year-old Kentucky born gelding made.

After the stumble it was full-steam-ahead.

At the quarter-pole My Samurai Warrior, with jockey Prayven Badrie aboard, was in fourth place; halfway through the race moved to third; and at the start of the homestretch was third and then took off from there winning going away 3 ¼ lengths ahead of runner-up Pakal – owned by Darcy and Janet Hawkes of Grande Prairie.

It was the first win of the season for the Racing Club after a fourth (My Frank) and 11^th (Mon Mousse) on Saturday at Century Mile as the Club horses made their Canadian debut.

The win earned the Club $5,340.

My Samurai Warrior finished the six furlongs in 1:11.38, which was just off the track record of 1:11.18 for the distance set by Beach Mode the day before.

All three Club horses are expected to race at least once more in Edmonton before being transported to Grande Prairie for The Horses At Evergreen Park. The two months of racing at Evergreen Park start on Saturday, July 6 and go weekends until August 25.

Memberships in the Club are still available during June. Anyone interested in sign up on the Evergreen Park website at www.evergreenpark.ca or by calling the Park office at 780-532-3279.

Well that was an interesting day for the Evergreen Park Racing Club 2019 horses at Century Mile in Edmonton.

Club horse Why Frank kicked things off with a solid fourth in a mile trot Saturday afternoon in Race 6.

Not a bad showing on an A Circuit track for a horse who will race mostly for the Club at the B Circuit oval at The Horses At Evergreen Park in Grande Prairie July and August.

Mon Mousse was up next in Race 7 over six furlongs finishing 11th out of 12 horses.

It was the first time the two American-born steeds had run in Canada.

Why Frank’s fourth, with jockey Prayven Badrie on board, earned the Club $575 of the $11,500 purse. Boxer Boy finished first winning most of the money putting $6,900 into the jeans of owner Beckham Ranch.

Spectrus was second and Gunslinger, owned and trained by Grande Prairie’s Tom Rycroft, was third in the six-horse field.

Why Frank was unhurried early and failed to threaten in the end finishing well back of winner Boxer Boy.

Mon Mousse earned some oats for himself with $120 in winnings for second-last ending up 11 lengths behind eventual winner Beach Mode, who took home $4,500 of the $8,155 purse. Damario Bynoe was in the saddle for the Club horse in that race.

If it’s of any consolation, Mon Mousse was the best Grande Prairie-owned horse in the race. Keene On Demand, owned by Tom and Clint Rycroft and trained by Tom, finished behind Mon Mousse in 12th place.

The third Club horse, My Samurai Warrior, makes its Canadian debut at Century Mile today. He is out of the gate at 2:45 p.m. and will be looking for the biggest share of a $8,900 purse in a race over six furlongs.

Grande Prairie’s Darcy and Linda Hawkes also have a horse in that race – Pakal.