2022 Manitoba CTHS Yearling Sale graduate No Show No Call was the leading money earner and Manitoba-bred Horse of the Year at Assiniboia Downs in 2024. His half-brother is Hip #7 in this year’s sale. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)
By G.S. Thompson
The annual CTHS Manitoba Yearling Sales take place this Sunday, August 24 at 2:30 PM in the new CTHS Sale Pavilion in the Assiniboia Downs backstretch and it’s loaded with quality this year!
Viewing of the 42 yearlings in the sale begins Friday, August 22 at noon, but before you do that, think about the amazing facts below provided by Manitoba CTHS Director Wayne King.
Owners of No Show No Call presented with 2024 Manitoba CTHS Horse of the Year Award. L to R: Manitoba CTHS Director Wayne King, No Show No Call owners Keith Dangerfield, Cory Ricard and Kevin Gill. (Wayne King photo)
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Manitoba Breds Are Racing Royalty
2024 Manitoba CTHS Yearling Sale Graduate Mighty Mikee and jockey Shavon Belle win the $40,000 CTHS Sales Stakes on Wednesday at ASD for trainer Devon Gittens, breeder Larry Falloon, and ownership partners Anne Champion and Mclaren Racing. (Jason Halstead / Assiniboia Photo)
What if we told you that buying a yearling this Sunday could put you in the winner’s circle with over $550,000 in restricted purse money waiting for Manitoba- and Saskatchewan-breds in 2026? The track record speaks volumes about the incredible value hidden in these prairie-bred athletes.
Consider this stunning reality: twice in the last five years, a Manitoba-bred has been the highest earning horse at Assiniboia Downs. In 2024 alone, a Manitoba-bred claimed the title of Leading Money Earner, while another local product finished as the second-highest earning 3-year-old filly. Even more impressive? Three of the top five earning 2-year-olds last season carried the Manitoba-bred banner.
Hip #7, consigned by Ziprick Thoroughbreds, is by Speculating, and is a half-brother to champion No Show No Call, the leading money earner at Assiniboia Downs in 2024.
The dominance runs deep. Since 2020, Manitoba-breds have claimed the leading 2-year-old earner title twice. In 2023, an astounding 8 out of the top 20 highest earning horses at Assiniboia Downs were either Manitoba or Saskatchewan-breds, including 7 out of the top 10 highest earning 2-year-olds.
The 2022 season was even more spectacular: 4 out of the top 5 highest earning 2-year-olds were regional-breds, including the number one earner. Overall that year, 5 out of the top 10 highest earning horses were Manitoba- or Saskatchewan-breds, topped by the track’s leading money winner.
But it’s not just about earnings—it’s about stakes glory. Since 2020, Manitoba and Saskatchewan bred 2-year-olds have captured numerous open stake races, proving they can compete with the best from anywhere.
This Year’s Catalog: A Champion’s Pedigree Page
Hip #37, consigned by Dr. Betty Hughes, is by Vengeful Wildcat, and is a full brother to Bankin On Betty, Manitoba’s champion 2-year-old filly in 2021.
The 2025 CTHS Manitoba Yearling Sale represents a 40% increase from last year with 41 offerings, a surge directly attributed to the innovative Joint Incentive Registered Foal Program created with the Manitoba Jockey Club. This crop marks the first generation eligible for these enhanced incentives, and the quality reflects it.
The bloodlines read like a hall of fame roster:
- 23 yearlings come from dams who previously raced at Assiniboia Downs
- 5 yearlings are from stakes-winning dams at ASD
- 2 yearlings trace to former Manitoba Broodmares of the Year
- 1 exceptional yearling is out of a former Horse of the Year, a multiple Manitoba champion with 18 victories and $400,000 in earnings
The sibling connections are equally impressive: 7 yearlings are full- or half-siblings to previous Manitoba champions at ASD, while 4 additional yearlings share bloodlines with stakes winners. Most remarkably, this catalog includes full- or half-siblings to winners of every major 2-year-old stakes race at Assiniboia Downs, the Debutante, Graduation, CTHS Sale Stakes, Osiris, Winnipeg Futurity, and the Buffalo Stakes.
The Bonus That Keeps on Giving
Hip #15, consigned by Fouillard Family Thorougbreds, is by Speculating, and is a full-brother to Twolefttoload, who recently won the $40,000 R.C. Anderson Stakes at Assiniboia Downs.
Here’s the cherry on top: owners of Manitoba and Saskatchewan bred horses receive a lifetime owners bonus when finishing in the top three while racing at Assiniboia Downs. It’s not just about the initial purchase, it’s about years of potential rewards.
Your Championship Moment Awaits
Hip #36, consigned by Watson Bay Stables, is a half-brother to Speed to Spare Championship runner up Itsmyday, by Clark Handicap (G1) winner Leofric.
The new CTHS Sale Pavilion will buzz with opportunity this Sunday. With viewing beginning Friday at noon, you’ll have plenty of time to study these carefully selected yearlings before the 2:30 PM start time for the sale on Sunday, August 24.
The statistics prove it, the pedigrees support it, and the incentives reward it: Manitoba and Saskatchewan breds aren’t just competitive, they’re champions waiting to happen. In a sport where finding value can mean the difference between dreams and disappointment, this sale offers something increasingly rare: a proven formula for success.
Don’t just buy a yearling, invest in a tradition of excellence, and own a dream that makes money.
CTHS Manitoba Yearling Sales
Sunday, August 24, 2:30 PM
CTHS Sale Pavilion, Assiniboia Downs
Viewing begins Friday, August 22 at noon