Never confuse movement with action.
Ernest Hemingway
The Tyee – Dorothy Woodend – The Twisted Fantasy of ‘Cowboy Individualism’
It don’t take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep.
Cowboy Wisdom
Don’t ever let your business get ahead of the financial side of your business. Accounting, accounting, accounting. Know your numbers.
Tilman J. Fertitta
Last week Horse Racing Alberta posted a story entitled – 25 Years of Telling The Story of Alberta Horse Racing
Phil will be honest. Phil never saw it.
Phil hasn’t bet an Alberta based race for over a decade and has a pittance of interest in Alberta horse racing, but heard from the Ennead that Phil should comment on a story about Horse Racing Alberta celebrating 25 years of mismanaging taxpayers’ dollars. Phil won’t disappoint the Ennead.
With 25 years being the Silver anniversary Phil was reminded about Silver bringing the hammer down on the Clippers.
The answers are all out there, we just need to ask the right questions.
Oscar Wilde
Phil has a question:
With all of the sports scribes clamouring about how severe a blow losing 5 first round picks is how can Jeff Jackson and Stan Bowman still have their positions with the Edmonton Oilers when they let 2 first round picks who had already developed into full time players slip throw their hands for a bag of beans with none being magic.
The Ennead understands that Phil may make light in some instances and add in a couple of musical interludes to help you enjoy your tomato sandwich and peach pie.
Music is a fantastic peacekeeper of the world, it is integral to harmony, and it is a required fundamental of human emotion.
Xun Kuang
Study Finds – Music Doesn’t Just Distract From Pain, It May Rewire How The Brain Feels It
Phil has a question:
Is it the medical marijuana that helps with the pain or the tunes you listen to while imbibing it.
The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.
George Bernard Shaw
When Phil glanced over the story Phil didn’t see any numbers, all Phil saw were a few awards for cute little videos being touted as accomplishments. When it comes to Tim Horton’s Tom Thumb everyone gets a medal awards Phil will tell you that Phil never got one for Most Gentlemanly Player.
Titles of honor are like the impressions on coins, which add no value to gold or silver, but only render brass current.
Laurence Sterne
Phil’s not going to denigrate the awards that the Undertaker was given, but Phil does have a question:
Since the videos that produced these awards were produced on Horse Racing Alberta’s nickel why are there no numbers showing how these videos helped to grow the Alberta handle from 2001 to 2026.
Since the videos that produced these awards were produced on Horse Racing Alberta’s nickel why are there no numbers showing how these videos helped to grow the number of races in Alberta from 2001 to 2026.
Since the videos that produced these awards were produced on Horse Racing Alberta’s nickel why are there no numbers showing how these videos helped to grow the total purses paid in Alberta from 2001 to 2026.
Since the videos that produced these awards were produced on Horse Racing Alberta’s nickel why are there no numbers showing how these videos helped to grow the Alberta foal crop from 2001 to 2026.
Since the videos that produced these awards were produced on Horse Racing Alberta’s nickel why are there no numbers showing how these videos helped to grow the Alberta sales auctions from 2001 to 2026.
The Ennead knows that the reason there are no numbers in that story is that if there were numbers that story would not have a happy ending as those numbers would show that the efforts of the Director of Marketing & Promotions for Horse Racing Alberta have not been successful at renewing or promoting the horse racing industry in Alberta over his 25 years of cashing pay cheques.
Horse Racing of all breeds in Alberta needs Miracle Max’s help.
The Ennead understands that horse racing of all breeds is in dire straits right across North America and it doesn’t need busy work it needs a determined, concerted effort to maintain its status quo and exceptional effort to grow.
Danielle Smith’s courting of the Alberta separatists with a referendum that’ s a colossal waste of hard earned taxpayer dollars continues many years of fiscal mismanagement by the right of centre politicians whose conservatism fails to extend to fiscal responsibility. Blame the bogeyman in Ottawa rather than look after the province’s finances. Since Leduc No.1 Alberta has been on a boom and bust cycle with governments who spend like a sailor on shore leave rather than socking away some of those nuts for the future.
Maybe the Alberta government needs to bring in a different Kline.
Now you may ask yourself why is Phil telling me this.
You can tell yourself that the Ennead knows why Phil is telling you this.
A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.
George Bernard Shaw
Horse Racing Alberta is one of the far too many many Agencies, Boards and Commissions created by various Alberta governments that accomplish little except for lining the pockets of their cronies.
Horse Racing Alberta
Mission Statement
Posted in About Us.Horse Racing Alberta (HRA), is a private not-for-profit corporation that was established with the Alberta Governments proclamation of the Racing Corporation Act in 1996. The HRA was established to lead a racing industry renewal and to manage industry self-regulation.
Mission Statement
“Horse Racing Alberta will lead and enable a healthy, vibrant and progressive racing industry to function in the province of Alberta with high integrity and self regulated responsibility.”Objectives Of Horse Racing Alberta
In accordance with the Racing Corporation Act, the mandated objects of the HRA are as follows;1. To govern, direct, control, regulate, manage, and promote horse racing in any or all of its forms.
2. To protect the health, safety, and welfare of racehorses and, with respect to horse racing, the safety and welfare of racing participants and racing officials.
3. To safeguard the interests of the general public in horse racing.
Since 2001 the Calgary Stampede went out of the horse racing business and Calgary was without a horse racing track for a number of years until Century Casinos stepped up and built a slot parlour with a poor excuse for a horse race track tacked on as an afterthought. Tim Reid led Edmonton Northlands out of the horse racing business and again Century Casinos stepped up and built a slot parlour with a slightly better horse race track tacked on. Now Century Casinos is actively marketing the 2 race track based slot parlours along with the rest of their Canadian properties.
Bureaucracy is a giant mechanism operated by pygmies.
Honore de Balzac
Phil has a question:
Would you call that a racing industry renewal.
Would you call that a healthy, vibrant and progressive racing industry.
Would you say that the Director of Marketing & Promotions for Horse Racing Alberta aka “The Undertaker” has accomplished the objective to promote horse racing in any or all of its forms over his 25 years.
Organizational busy work tends to expand to fill the working day.
Tom DeMarco
The numbers are not hiding. Phil didn’t need ChatGPT, Grok or any other AI to find the numbers as they are in plain view on the Jockey Club’s and Horse Racing Alberta’s websites.. Especially after the AI sites want you to get a subscription and pay money and Phil is fiscally responsible when it’s Phil’s nickel. Equibase has pretty good numbers as well but you need to do some calculations.
Alberta Population 2001 2,907,882
Alberta Population 2026 5,057,077
Alberta’s Population has increased by 73.9% from 2001 to 2025
Canadian Consumer Price Index with a base year of 2002 puts 2025 at 164.02.
The Jockey Club may be taking a bit of heat lately about its relationship to HISA but their stats are Divine.
The Jockey Club – Alberta 2026 Fact Book
Year Races Purses Starters Starts Race Days Avg. Field Size Avg. Purse per Race
2001 1,163 $11,911,024 1,379 8,417 166 7.2 $10,242
2025 612 $ 7,554,831 751 3,825 138 6.3 $12,344 ($7,518 adjusted for inflation)
Phil has a question:
When the number of thoroughbred races in Alberta have dropped from 1,163 in 2001 to 612 in 2025 would you call that a racing industry renewal.
When the number of thoroughbred races in Alberta have dropped from 1,163 in 2001 to 612 in 2025 would you call that a healthy, vibrant and progressive racing industry. promote horse racing
When the number of thoroughbred races in Alberta have dropped from 1,163 in 2001 to 612 in 2025 would you call that promoting horse racing.
Are you starting to catch the same drift as the Ennead.
When the total purses in Alberta have dropped from $11,911,024 in 2001 to $7,554,831 in 2025 would you call that a racing industry renewal.
When the total purses in Alberta have dropped from $11,911,024 in 2001 to $7,554,831 in 2025 would you call that a healthy, vibrant and progressive racing industry.
When the total purses in Alberta have dropped from $11,911,024 in 2001 to $7,554,831 in 2025 would you call that promoting horse racing.
Are you starting to catch the same drift as the Ennead.
When the number of starters in Alberta have dropped from from 1,379 in 2001 to 751 in 2025 would you call that a racing industry renewal.
When the number of starters in Alberta have dropped from from 1,379 in 2001 to 751 in 2025 would you call that a healthy, vibrant and progressive racing industry.
When the number of starters in Alberta have dropped from from 1,379 in 2001 to 751 in 2025 would you call that promoting horse racing.
Are you starting to catch the same drift as the Ennead.
.
Foal Crop from the Jockey Club
Crop Year Alberta North America Pct. of NA Crop
2001 516 37,901 1.4
2024 150 18,000 *(*Estimate) 0.8
Phil Has a question:
When the number of thoroughbred foals in Alberta have dropped from 516 in 2001 to 150 in 2024 would you call that a racing industry renewal.
When the number of thoroughbred foals in Alberta have dropped from 516 in 2001 to 150 in 2024 would you call that a healthy, vibrant and progressive racing industry.
When the number of thoroughbred foals in Alberta have dropped from 516 in 2001 to 150 in 2024 would you call that promoting horse racing.
Are you starting to catch the same drift as the Ennead.
Phil agrees that the total North American thoroughbred foal crop is declining. However, the total North American foal crop in 2024 is 47.94% of the 2001 crop while the total Alberta foal crop in 2024 is 29.06% of the 2001 crop. Alberta thoroughbred racing is sliding into oblivion at a much faster rate than the rest of North America.
Phil could go through each and every number in the The Jockey Club – Alberta 2026 Fact Book and the results would be remarkably similar, but Phil will leave it up to you if you want to go through and compare the rest of the Jockey Club’s numbers.
Now that you’re probably starting to catch the same drift as the Ennead Phil will move onto a different set of numbers.
2001 Horse Racing Alberta Annual Report
2025 Horse Racing Alberta Annual Report
2001 Horse Racing Alberta Annual Report Comparison Yearling Sales
2025 Horse Racing Alberta Annual Report Thoroughbred Sales
2001 OFFERED SOLD GROSS AVERAGE
EDMONTON YEARLING 170 145 $1,165,600 $8,039
EDMONTON MIXED 54 48 $ 130,800 $2,725
TOTAL 224 193 $1,296,400
2025 YEARLING SALE TOTALS
Average Median Total Horses
Thoroughbred 14,036 10,000 $1,024,600 73
When the number of thoroughbred yearlings sold have dropped from 145 in 2001 to 73 in 2025 would you call that a racing industry renewal.
When the number of thoroughbred yearlings sold have dropped from 145 in 2001 to 73 in 2025 would you call that a healthy, vibrant and progressive racing industry.
When the number of thoroughbred yearlings sold have dropped from 145 in 2001 to 73 in 2025 would you call that promoting horse racing.
Are you starting to catch the same drift as the Ennead.
2001 Horse Racing Alberta Annual Report Alberta Handle
2025 Horse Racing Alberta Annual Report Alberta Handle
2001 Handle by Type
Alberta Live Alberta Simulcast Foreign Simulcast Total
$29,375,008 $22,699,137 $94,977,102 $147,051,247
HANDLE (BY TYPE) 2025
Foreign Simulcast 82,322,000
Live 3,899,000
Alberta Simulcast 1,890,000
TOTAL HANDLE SHARED WITH HRA 88,111,000
Export*** 33,509,000
TOTAL HANDLE 121,620,000
For his comparison Phil using the TOTAL HANDLE SHARED WITH HRA figure as the Export*** amount was negotiated by the recipient tracks with no help from Horse Racing Alberta and any benefit goes directly to the tracks.
For true comparison purposes if you adjusted the 2025 Handle for inflation it would equate to $53,726,000.
For true comparison purposes if you adjusted the 2025 Handle for inflation and population growth in the province of Alberta it would equate to $31,056,000.
Phil has a question:
When the total HRA Handle has dropped from $147,051,247 in 2001 to $88,111,000 in 2025 would you call that a racing industry renewal.
When the total HRA Handle has dropped from $147,051,247 in 2001 to $88,111,000 in 2025 would you call that a healthy, vibrant and progressive racing industry. promote horse racing
When the total HRA Handle has dropped from $147,051,247 in 2001 to $88,111,000 in 2025 in would you call that promoting horse racing.
Are you starting to catch the same drift as the Ennead.
Phil could go through each and every number in the 2001 Horse Racing Alberta Annual Report and 2025 Horse Racing Alberta Annual Report and the results would be remarkably similar, but Phil will leave it up to you if you want to go through and compare the rest of Horse Racing Alberta’s numbers.
Phil has a question:
When the hay man comes collecting can you pay by showing him a video or does he want coin of the realm.
When the straw man comes collecting can you pay by showing him a video or does he want coin of the realm.
When the feed man comes collecting can you pay by showing him a video or does he want coin of the realm.
When the veterinarian comes collecting can you pay by showing him a video or does he want coin of the realm.
When the exercise rider comes collecting can you pay by showing him a video or does he want coin of the realm.
When the jockeys agent comes collecting can you pay by showing him a video or does he want coin of the realm.
When the landlord comes collecting can you pay by showing him a video or does he want coin of the realm.
Are you starting to catch the same drift as the Ennead.
Can you stop at just one salted peanut.
In The Book Of Life, The Answers Are Not In The Back
Charlie Brown
The numbers paint a much different picture than the story entitled – 25 Years of Telling The Story of Alberta Horse Racing. but it’s up to you and the Ennead to reach your own conclusions.
With the slot revenue that Horse Racing Alberta receives being under siege by competition from new casinos close to Century Downs and soon to be close to Century Mile and from the Alberta Government’s recent opening of the On-Line Market the Ennead knows that the thoroughbred industry in Alberta’s future is pretty bleak and it needs all the help it can get.
Phil M. Stockmen