Alberta Ranches, Ltd. was a

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

horse racing partnership between U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey and

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-yea ...

-winning trainer

Johnny Longden John Eric "Johnny" Longden (February 14, 1907 – February 14, 2003) was an American Hall of Fame and National Champion jockey and a trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses who was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, England. His father emigrated to ...

, his son Vance, and businessmen and Frank McMahon, Wilder H. Ripley, and

Max Bell George Maxwell Bell (October 13, 1912 – July 19, 1972) was a Canadian newspaper publisher, race horse owner and philanthropist. He was best known as the co-founder of FP Publications, Canada's largest newspaper syndicate in the 1960s. He built h ...

. The three men were all longtime friends from the

Province of Alberta A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outs ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

. The partnership was formed in 1952 and was dissolved in 1962 following a dispute between McMahon and Bell

The business leased part of Bell and McMahon's

Golden West Farms Golden West Farms was a Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing stable and breeding farm at Okotoks, Alberta owned by Frank McMahon and Max Bell. Both partners were successful businessmen who invested in Thoroughbred racehorses. Frank McMahon most not ...

Thoroughbred

breeding Breeding is sexual reproduction that produces offspring, usually animals or plants. It can only occur between a male and a female animal or plant. Breeding may refer to: * Animal husbandry, through selected specimens such as dogs, horses, and rab ...

operation at

Okotoks Okotoks (, originally ) is a town in the Calgary Region of Alberta, Canada. It is on the Sheep River, approximately south of Calgary. Okotoks has emerged as a bedroom community of Calgary. According to the 2016 Census, the town has a populati ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

and based their racing stable in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wo ...

. Alberta Ranches, Ltd.'s racing colors were purple and white. The racing partnership notably owned

Royal Serenade Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

, a colt they bought in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

and brought to California where he won the 1953

Hollywood Gold Cup The Hollywood Gold Cup Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of miles on the dirt held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California in May. The race currently offers a purse of $400,000. ...

. Another important horse was

Four-and-Twenty Four-and-Twenty (foaled 1958 in Kentucky) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. The name comes from the lyrics to ''Sing a Song of Sixpence''. Background Four-and-Twenty was bred and raced by the Alberta Ranches, Ltd. partnership of Max Bell, ...

who won the 1961

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

and

Santa Anita Derby The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is currently run at a distance of miles on the dirt and carries a purse of $400,000. It is one ...

s. In 1961 the partnership had two starters in the

. They won a number of other important stakes races including the

(1953),

Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap The Santa Margarita Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California for fillies and mares age four and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of one and one-eighths miles. ...

(1955),

Palomar Handicap The Yellow Ribbon Handicap (formerly known as the Palomar Handicap) is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. The Grade II race is run on turf at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles ( ...

(1955, 1956).

Santa Maria Handicap The Santa Maria Stakes is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late May at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A race for fillies and mares age four and older, it is contested on Pro-Ride synthetic dirt over a distanc ...

(1955, 1956).

San Felipe Stakes The San Felipe Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is a Grade II event open to three-year-old horses. Normally held in early -March, it is raced at a distance of one and one ...

(1961).

Strub Stakes The Strub Stakes is an American race for thoroughbred horses run at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California each year. Currently a Grade II stakes race with a purse of $200,000, it is for four-year-olds, at one and one-eighth miles on Santa Anita ...

(1962), and the

San Bernardino Handicap The Tokyo City Cup Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at the beginning of April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A Grade III event raced on dirt at a distance of miles (12 furlongs), it is open to horses aged fo ...

(1962). The Longdens additionally contributed to the business through riding and training the horses. The Alberta Ranches, Ltd. partners were each successful racehorse owners, both individually as well as in other partnerships. Johnny Longden, his son, and second wife Hazel, owned a number of successful horses. Max Bell and Frank McMahon founded the Golden West Farms

and racing operation whose notable wins included Canada's most prestigious race, the

Queen's Plate The King's Plate (known as the Queen's Plate between 1860 to 1901 and 1952 to 2022) is Canada's oldest Thoroughbred horse race, having been founded in 1860. It is also the oldest continuously run race in North America. It is run at a distance of ...

. Max Bell and Frank McMahon owned other top horses such as the colt

Meadow Court Meadow Court (1962-c. 1982) was a British-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. He won the Irish Derby and the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 1965. Background He was bred by the American heiress Elisabeth Ireland Poe who own ...

in a partnership with friend,

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

. Meadow Court raced in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

where he won the 1965

Irish Derby The Irish Derby ( Irish: Dearbaí na hÉireann) is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distanc ...

and the

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot ...

. Frank McMahon is best known as the owner of

Majestic Prince Majestic Prince (March 19, 1966 – April 22, 1981) was a Thoroughbred racehorse. One of the leading North American horses of his generation, he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 1969. Background In September 1967, Majestic Prince ...

who won the 1969

and

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs ...

. Majestic Prince was inducted in the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame in 1988.

References

* Brennan, Brian. ''Alberta Originals'' (2001) Fitzhenry & Whiteside Publishing {{ISBN, 1-894004-76-0
March 13, 1961 ''Sports Illustrated'' article on Alberta Ranches, Ltd. and Four-and-Twenty
American racehorse owners and breeders Canadian racehorse owners and breeders