About Us

The Alberta Breeders' Fall Classic has been celebrating the best Alberta breds in racing since its inception in 1997. The idea for the race series was the brainchild of a meeting of four people: Les Butler - Race Manager at Northlands, Jim Thompson - President of the CTHS, John Fowlis, Race Manager at Stampede Park and Rennie Gellner - CTHS Alberta Manager. The Alberta Breeders' Fall Classic races were designed to celebrate and promote the Alberta Thoroughbred.

The series was simply called the Alberta Fall Classic in its early days and the inaugural running on September 27th, 1997 took place "on a somewhat blustery fall day" at Northlands Park in Edmonton. Seven stakes races for Alberta breds were featured with purses totaling over $300,000 offered for fillies and colts. The inaugural races in 1997 included the 18th running of the Alberta Premier's Futurity, the 16th running of the Sturgeon River, the 19th running of the Alberta Oaks and the 15th running of the Beaufort Stakes. Three new races were also introduced as part of the Fall Classic series - the Alberta Breeders' Stakes, the Fall Classic Distaff stakes and the Red Diamond Express Stakes.

A special tribute goes to Don and Sue Danard & Danard & Co. Livestock Inc, who have been involved with the Alberta Breeders' Fall Classic series as a sponsor for the Red Diamond Express Stakes since the first year.

The Alberta Breeders' Fall Classic series celebrates the top Alberta bred horses and now offers over $350,000 in purse money over seven stakes races. The Alberta Breeders' Fall Classic took place at Northlands Park from its inception in 1997 through 2017, when the 22nd running of the Alberta Breeders' Fall Classic was moved to the southern end of the province at Century Downs Racetrack & Casino!