by Nigel Reid
The memory of what COVID-19 restrictions have done to Canada’s racing industry over the past 18 months, involving the looming specter of the troubling new variant, has done nothing to dispel the dismay. definitely around the sport north of the 49th parallel.
However, if believing the results of a truncated season is to be believed, there is reason to be optimistic about the way the sport is doing, especially at the country’s premier Woodbine facility in Toronto. , recover again in 2021.
Indeed, the rumors about the demise of the Canadian motorsport seem to have been largely exaggerated. Most of the provinces, and Ontario/Woodbine in particular, have shown impressive perseverance in not only surviving the onslaught of COVID-19 but also starting to ‘build back better’.
Woodbine has done a phenomenal job under the direction of Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) CEO Jim Lawson – initially turning the world-class facilities in Toronto into a poster boy about how sports can continue to operate according to COVID-19 protocols, and then lobby steadfastly for some common sense when the government temporarily closes the track.
Fortunately, the two-month delay before the start of the Woodbine campaign hasn’t stopped the 2021 Pure season from generating more than $505 million in revenue from all sources, the third-highest total season total in Woodbine Thoroughbred history.
Woodbine’s superb facilities have helped ensure the satisfaction of coaches, and that satisfaction has resulted in an enviable average pitch size of nine. In turn, that helped produce a 4.8% increase in average grip per race – an impressive $534,194 in 2021.
Speaking at an end-of-season meeting, Lawson said: “Our team has done a great job of creating engaging and competitive races throughout the season. The support of the owners and coaches during these difficult times deserves credit and our commitment to providing the best overall experience for the riders at Woodbine will only increase. in 2022.”
He continued: “Growing and strengthening the Woodbine brand across North America has been at the heart of our day-to-day operations for the past few years and we are proud of our success in this area, because clearly these efforts continue to elevate our world-class racing product at Woodbine. ”
Wooden racing | WEG / Michael Burns
Away from Woodbine, and despite the sudden and permanent closure of the Marquis Downs in Saskatchewan, there have been some positive signs for the supporting cast of Canada’s racing venues.
Century Mile Racecourse, Alberta’s fledgling facility in Edmonton, which continues to operate and is conveniently located near the international airport, is slowly building a facility that will impress the local equestrian community. and attract more riders from further away. The Century Mile hosts the Canadian Derby, which this year fell to the Uncharacteristic (Texas Wildcatter), a horse claimed for $8,000 thanks to its connections at the start of the season and incoming Class III victory. after winning the Manitoba Derby last month .
Manitoba, like Alberta, suffers from its own stop-start situations. However, when the province is finally up and running, organizers at Assiniboia Downs have been rewarded with more eye-catching handles ($2.5 million Derby Day alone) that began the previous year. when the track benefits from the continental closure of most other sports.
West of the Rockies, Hastings Racecourse also suffered from casino closures, thus temporarily halting virtually all sponsorship of the sport across Canada. Thanks in large part to lobbying by the British Columbia Equestrian Regulatory Commission and other industry groups, there has been a substantial amount of cash inflows from the government ($3 million, divided equally between the Standardbred and Thoroughbred disciplines). . The initiative allows the picturesque racetrack to not only resume this summer, but also plan a series of stake races for 2022 and race two days a week from May to October. ten.
It’s been touching and going in Hastings for a while, with a firm in the industry needing to secure the season with its own money.
Glen Todd | Horsephotos
Mr. Glen Todd, the owner, trainer, breeder and man behind the North American Thoroughbred Horse Company (NATHC), which remains such a driving force in BC racing, has rejected the need to inquire into private pockets. His in fashion is often modest. Todd said he is pleased that, after a lot of hard work behind the scenes, the 2021 season, although severely cut short, has been saved and the sport’s immediate future in BC is protected. guarantee.
“Obviously there are moments when it gets really dark,” Todd said TDN this week, “but I’m not a gloom and gloom and I’m always confident we’ll be back.”
Todd said he’s also optimistic that the new owner of Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, acquired by Apollo Global Management earlier this year, is an opportunity to push the button to reset the relationship between the front and back of Hastings.
“We’ve had a few meetings already,” explains Todd, “and I’m optimistic. Talks about the future are positive and encouraging, but only time will tell.”
While not unique to Canada, the number of horses, along with the number of owners, continues to be a concern in every racing province, even Ontario, and it is fair to say that the livestock industry of The country had weathered turbulent seas even before the pandemic hit.
However, generous and imaginative livestock incentives in the four main racing provinces continue to help bolster a delicate sales market after several worrisome years. This year’s sale in British Columbia, for example, has offered a bonus for BC crossbred stallions, which will add an extra 50% to winning purses for qualifying horses. The result has been the strongest increase in demand for locally bred runners in years and is expected to lead to a much-needed increase in stallions by 2022.
There are plenty of plans across the province and, while some in the racing community doubt the sustainability of these ‘walled garden’ incentives, there seems little doubt that, at least in the short term. term, they helped strengthen the residual value of blood vessels.
The average cost of a foal at the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (CTHS) Semi-Annual Program in September in Toronto was $20,027, up slightly from the previous year. Meanwhile, the average at the equivalent CTHS sale in Alberta, has risen to more than $10,500 from $8,350 in 2020 and, at the CTHS auction in BC, the results were even better, given the price average was $15,959, up nearly 20% for the same sale 12 months ago.
Like many jurisdictions around the world, Canadian motorsport has been through a rough 12 months. However, with the commitment of many and the sure steering of a few others, the sport has, so far, withstood many blows from COVID-19 and can start anew. to consider the future with real hope.
