Page 12 - Speedhorse Canada Spring 2020

FREE THOUGHT
CHAMPION AGED HORSE, CHAMPION DISTANCE HORSE by Teagan Goodsell
Returning Champion Free Thought picked up two more awards to his accolades: Champion
Aged Horse and Champion Distance Horse at the Alberta Quarter Horse Racing Association 2019 Award Night. He started the year on a streak of 12 consecutive wins and extended it throughout the year to 17. This Stel Corona gelding ran at Los Alamitos before being claimed (bought in a race) and brought to Alberta in 2014. He has run well throughout the years and is a main stay in owner Charles Stojan’s lineup of horses as well as a barn favorite in the William Leech shed row. Haley Leech Moreno, assistant and head groom in the barn, has a bond with him: kisses and a pep talk before every race, she says. In his five starts in 2019, Ed, as his is known in the barn, added three overnight stakes wins and two allowance wins all races around the turn from 660 yards to 870 yards
with earnings of $16,561 US. His first start of the year was a 660 allowance in Lethbridge, followed by the Whoop Up Classic in the middle of June, winning both starts impressively. Free Thought then had a little hiatus while he waited
at Evergreen Park in Grande Prairie for an allowance distance race to go, which did in August that he won. He is not challenge enrolled (much thought on Chuck’s part has been given on the what if’s he had paid the late fees to do so way back when he first brought him to Canada),
so was unable to participate in the Distance Challenge held in July.
Ms. Moreno says he was missed
in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where a string from the Leech
shed row went to participate in the Challenge Championship. The fall saw Free Thought make the trip to Century Downs to dominate two more stakes, the Century Downs Distance Championship held on the first all Quarter Horse day, and the Century Downs Distance in late September. Although he has not always run these long distance
– well, long in the Quarter Horse world – Free Thought defiantly has made his mark among the fans and betters in Alberta. Chuck plans to bring Free Thought back to race in 2020, as the horse just loves to run, has lots of heart left and still wants to compete. Chuck does note that one day his age might catch up to him and some horse younger and potentially faster might get the edge on this nine-year-old gelding. When his retirement does occur, Free Thought has a forever home at the Stojan’s, as he has taken his owner, the family and fans on an incredible journey. Congratulations to all the connections and good luck in 2020!
Free Thought Winning at Century Downs
12 SPEEDHORSE CANADA Spring 2020