Canadian Derby

With Western Canadian race meets kicking off in May, the 2025 Western Canadian Derby Series returns this season, highlighted by the $100,000 Derby Bonus. The series offers any 3-year-old that sweeps the Manitoba Derby, Canadian Derby and BC Derby a $100,000 bonus. Additionally, a $25,000 Owner/Trainer Bonus will further stoke the competition. The 2025 series begins Aug. 4 at Assiniboia Downs with the $125,000 Manitoba Derby (1 1/8 miles), continues Aug. 23 with the $200,000 Canadian Derby (10 furlongs) at Century Mile, and concludes Sept. 13 with the $125,000 BC...

The Western Canadian Derby series has been revised following the announcement that the Manitoba Derby will not be part of the series this year due to a federal quarantine of the Winnipeg track. The removal of the Manitoba Derby will now see the series reduced to the GIII Canadian Derby at Century Mile and the B.C. Derby at Hastings Racecourse. The previous $100,000 three-leg sweep opportunity has been discontinued, but the $25,000 Owner/Trainer Point System Bonus will remain in place. "Though we are understandably disappointed by the unfortunate absence of...

Assiniboia Downs, Century Mile and Hastings Racecourse have joined forces to create a new Western Canadian Triple Crown debuting in 2023. The series begins with the $125,000 Manitoba Derby Aug. 7, continues with the $200,000 GIII Canadian Derby Aug. 26 and concludes with the $125,000 GIII British Columbia Derby Sept. 16. In addition to $450,000 in purse money, there will be an additional $100,000 bonus should a horse win all three races. "To link a meaningful financial bonus to the already robust purse offerings should only elevate the participation and...

Six years ago, Landon Jones and Dawson Guhle got connected through the sport of horse racing. Now, they're preparing to launch a platform that they hope can do the same for others. In 2021, Jones and Guhle formed the idea for Agri/Gate Management, an app and web-based platform that could be used to simplify communication and streamline the flow of data in the racing industry. They envisioned that through their software, they could remove the barriers to entry for new participants through education, improve the traceability of horses on and...

Woodbine Entertainment and Century Mile have partnered up to give the winner of the GIII Canadian Derby free entry to the GIII Ontario Derby. The Canadian Derby will be run Aug. 20 at Century Mile in Edmonton, while the Ontario Derby is scheduled for Oct. 23 at Woodbine. Any runner that wins both events will earn connections a $50,000 bonus. "This exciting initiative provides a great opportunity to connect our sport across the country and further develop the Canadian Thoroughbred industry," said Tim Lawson, Woodbine's director of Thoroughbred racing. Woodbine's...

The 2017 GIII Canadian Derby has been declared official--for the fifth time. But the upholding of the controversial commission-level disqualification of Chief Know It All (Flashy Bull) from western Canada's most prestigious race might still not end up being the final judgment in a case that has now languished in the courts for three-plus years. The Alberta Court of Appeal ruling, first reported Nov. 23 by Canadian Press, is the latest twist in the prolonged legal challenge over whether stewards are the final arbiters of foul-related race disqualifications in that...