The Century Horse Racing Club has announced its return with a dual breed ownership experience for the 2022 racing seasons at Century Downs and Century Mile.
The Century Horse Racing Club is a modified fractional ownership group with a one-time buy-in fee of just $250 for fans to experience horse ownership for the year. Century Downs was the first track in Canada to launch a harness racing club in 2016. Expanding to both breeds, membership now includes shares in both the Standardbred and Thoroughbred racehorses owned by the club for the duration of the membership period.
The club has revealed the four horses that will comprise its stable including Standardbred pacers Tina La Vida and Military Man.
Tina La Vida is a two-year-old Alberta-bred filly by Santanna Blue Chip out of the Dragon Again mare Tresselette. She is trained by Tyler Redwood, who is looking forward to participating in the club this season.
"I was at the yearling sale and was looking at possibly picking out one for myself, and Joe Gray, Racing Manager at Century Downs, walked by and asked if I had room for one," said Redwood in a recent interview with Century Downs. "In a slight panic, I told him 'yes of course' and then it hit me, I was going to be training one for Racing Club and she was a young one I would have to break and train. It was a huge honour to see my work recognized and ask to take her on."
Trained by Logan Gillis, Military Man is an unraced three-year-old colt by Heston Blue Chip out of the stakes-winning Art Major mare Major Millie.
"Military Man is just a little guy, but is still a stud colt so he does not think he’s small," said Gillis. "I call him 'Gunner,' which is fitting for a military man.
"I have high hopes for the colt when he returns but it will take a few weeks of training back to really set a schedule and evaluation of his caliber going forward," he explained. "Everyone would love a derby horse, and maybe this will be mine. Fingers crossed. We have a long way to go from here."
The club's Thoroughbreds include Capital Call, a five-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding by Tonalist that will be joining the Tim Rycroft stable, and Joy In Grace, a four-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Kitten's Joy. Capital Call broke her maiden last June at Golden Gate and has banked $46,873 through 16 career starts. Joy In Grace is a two-time winner -- most recently in her 2022 debut on February 28 at Turf Paradise. She has earned $33,547 in purses from 15 races lifetime.