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someone who was involved in the banking business for much of his life Fred Gumprich
has come to appreciate that a blue hen broodmare can be a blue chip annuity.
His superb runner Sophie J has turned out to be an equally fine broodmare, producing
the outstanding runners B.C. West, Commodore Craig and last season’s three-year-old
sensation Regal Red.
Fred and wife Corrine bought a ticket in racing’s lifetime lottery in 1978
when they purchased horses in the B.C. Yearling Sale and shipped them to Fred’s
brother Harry, a trainer at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg. By 1981 they were racing
exclusively in B.C.and by 1985 they had their first stakes winner, the explosive
stretch runner King Balmoral, who was named top handicap horse in B.C. at four.
“No doubt about it,” says Gumprich, “King Balmoral was the horse
that got us hooked.”
In the fall of 1989 Fred laid the foundation for future success when he went to
Kentucky and in partnership with then trainer Daryl Snow purchased a two-year-old
filly by His Majesty out of a mare by Sea Bird. Given those classy Darby Dan Farm
bloodlines she looked like a bargain at $10,000.
She was named Chub Cheeks after the breeder’s round faced granddaughter.
“We were looking for a filly by Graustark, who was fashionable at the time,”
recalls Gumprich. “We had to settle for one by His Majesty, Graustark’s
full brother.”
Unfortunately, Chub Cheeks was a bust as a racehorse. She suffered from what veterinarians
know as Azoturia and what racetrackers call “tying up.” It happens
to horses that have a hyper, nervous nature. Under certain conditions her muscles
cramped and movement become very difficult. It is usually treated with Phenylbutazone
and a tranquilizer. If it becomes chronic muscles deteriorate.
Rather than risk injury to her, Gumprich bought out Snow’s half interest
and retired her as a broodmare.
Her second foal was Sophie J, named after a granddaughter born about the same
time 13 years ago.
Sophie J’s career was relatively brief but breathtaking nevertheless. As
a three-year-old she won six of eight starts, finishing third in her first start
and losing a heartbreaker in the B.C. Oaks when regular rider Jake Barton allowed
her to drift farther off the pace than normal. After the race he admitted he had
screwed up. It would have been her sixth stakes victory of the season.
One of the beauties of Sophie J was that she could be placed within easy striking
distance of the leaders and pull away in the homestretch. “She was very
versatile” says trainer Robbie Anderson. “You could place her anywhere.
She was very easy to train. The only thing she didn’t like was having her
mane pulled.”
“She could have quite easily gone undefeated as a three-year-old,”
says Anderson. “She was very unlucky in the two races she lost.”
After her loss to Dark Hours in the Oaks at odds of 1 to 5 she turned the tables
with a convincing victory in the Ballerina and was named B.C.’s Horse of
the Year.
Compromised by ankle chips as a four-year-old she did not make her season debut
until mid-August. She promptly won an allowance, romped home in the Cover Girl
and Delta Colleen before losing the Ballerina to Kims Turn to Star,
She bowed a tendon in the Ballerina under her punishing impost of 127 pounds and
was retired. Her bottom line reads nine wins, two seconds and one third in 13
starts for earnings of $294,000.
As a broodmare she would have a second chance at greatness and she has made the
most of it. B.C. West has won more than $150,000, Commodore Craig has gone over
$200,000 and now Regal Red looks like the best of them all.
And the annuities keep coming in. Sophie J has a two-year-old colt named Undersecretary
and Chub Cheeks has a two-year-old filly who rejoices in the name of Laureate
With Sophie J, Chub Cheeks and other top broodmares producing foals on their 25
acre farm (they rent 25 more) in Chilliwack the Gumpriches seem well positioned
to maintain their winning ways. “We have eight or nine broodmares but we
don’t breed them all every year. It would just be too many horses to race,”
says Fred.
Gumprich was raised on a dairy farm in St. Boniface, Manitoba. He joined the Industrial
Development Bank , a federal government agency, and remained there for 25 years.
He started in Regina, was transferred to Victoria and eventually to Chilliwack
where he became manager.
In 1977 Fred and Corinne purchased the bus depot in Hope. Corinne ran the operation,
with the restaurant being the main money earner. Profits from the depot—Village
Bus Services-- bought their first horses and it has grown from there.
“Racing has so many highs and lows,” says Fred. “You have to
love it to stick with it. Having a horse like Regal Red sure makes mucking stalls
a lot easier.”
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