Fast forward to Saturday night at Century Mile, and Big Hug comes into the Alberta Breeders’ Fall Classic program as arguably the most accomplished horse on the nine-race card. She is the reigning Alberta-bred of the year and will be looking to improve upon her 15-for-30 career record when she defends her title in the $60,000 Distaff Handicap.

The 1 1/16-mile race is one of seven Thoroughbred stakes on the card, each worth $60,000. The purses are up from $50,000 a year ago. The closing night card also includes two stakes for Quarter Horses. All of the races are restricted to horses bred in Alberta.

Big Hug easily caught Hedge’s eye at auction back in 2021. She is now 5 and has earned more than $400,000.

“I just liked her,” he said. “She was named already. She just was one of those horses that looked at you and said, ‘Pick me!’ ”

Hedge did and co-owns Big Hug with Empire Equestrian. He’s been more than pleased with how she developed for the stable.

“She’s the queen,” he said. “She’s very athletic. She can definitely run, and I think she has a very good breathing capacity. She’s got a big girth. She’s not a big, big mare, but solid.”

Big Hug was Alberta’s champion filly at 2 and 3. Last year at 4, she won 6 of 9 starts, including the Distaff Handicap by four lengths. She will tote 127 pounds in this year’s renewal, which has drawn a field of five.

Big Hug is moving back into the Alberta-bred ranks for the first time since last year’s Distaff Handicap. She enters off a runner-up finish to multiple stakes winner Avana in the Northlands Distaff Handicap on Aug. 23 at Century. Big Hug will start from post 3 on Saturday, under Rafael Zenteno Jr.

“She can lay close or she can come off of it,” Hedge said. “She’s versatile.”

Big Hug ran third in the Grade 3 Wilshire earlier this year at Santa Anita and could return to Southern California with the close of the meet at Century Mile. Over the local strip, she’s 12 for 19.

“I’m not sure, but we might send her back to Santa Anita again,” Hedge said.



For the moment, however, Big Hug will be seeking to win the 13th stakes race of her career as the top horse in Alberta.

Breeders’ Handicap

Flashfordani’s mission is a simple one in the Alberta Breeders’ Handicap: Run down Smart Play.

Smart Play won the 1 1/16-mile race on the front end a year ago and again will be one to catch in this year’s renewal.

The Breeders’ Handicap is for 3-year-olds and up, and it drew a field of six. Flashfordani will be moving back into the Alberta-bred ranks for the race after finishing third in the Speed to Spare Championship at 1 1/4 miles on Aug. 23.

He will start from post 3 on Saturday and could get an ideal setup as Smart Play faces a significant pace rival in Patriotic Freedom. Patriotic Freedom is stretching out from six furlongs after a front-running win over allowance foes.

Smart Play was beaten a nose by Flashfordani in an allowance Aug. 4. It was his last start, and he’s since worked a strong six furlongs in 1:11 in preparation for defense of his title in the Breeders’ Classic.

Flashfordani will tote 126 pounds as the highweight, while Smart Play is weighted next at 125.

◗ Hiway Fortynine will seek her first stakes win in the Sturgeon River for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs. She’s placed in back-to-back stakes in her last two starts.

◗ No More Lies, who was a multiple stakes winner at 2, has begun to recapture that form of late and will be looking for her second straight stakes win when she starts in the Alberta Oaks. It will be run at 1 1/16 miles and drew an up-and-coming sort in Biz Babe.

◗ Itsallgoodman will be tough to contain if he runs back to his allowance win last out in the Red Diamond Express Handicap. He won the six-furlong race in 1:08.40 and will be traveling the same distance Saturday. The chief threat to the 126-pound highweight is Solo Ring.

◗ Relaxgodoitramone is seeking his second straight stakes win at the meet in the Alberta Premier’s Futurity for 2-year-olds at six furlongs. The son of Fed Biz is part of a field of 11.

◗ Holiday’s Again and Zip It Writ look like chief players in the Beaufort, a 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds. Both have established two-turn form heading into the stakes race.