Page 6 - February 2005 The Game

6 The Game, February 2005 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
DAVID WILLMOT - CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
"We sold $4.5 million worth of art off the walls of the director's room," he says without a trace of regret, "We spent that money on the grandstand."
That was just one of many initiatives that propelled the fate of horse racing upward and onward. The Ontario Jockey Club, recognizing the snobbish inflection of its own name and the fact hat it was a purely thoroughbred term, became The Woodbine Entertainment Group. Willmot is proud that his track became the first in North America to stop charging for parking and admissions.
"In focus groups, the biggest thing that came across was the access costs," says Willmot, "Considering parking, admission, program, racing form, by the time you made your first bet, you'd reached for your wallet five times. The customer was asking, 'why are you charging me for coming in to bet?'"
Getting the slot machines required intensive lobbying with many levels of government. The network of off-track betting parlours - the Champions Lounges - has continued to expand and true to Willmot's promise to be committed to the customer, Woodbine has whole- heartedly embraced every
new stride in technology to make it easier to place a bet. Horse racing can now be watched 24 hours a day on 5 high-end channels - Bell Expressvue and Rogers Digital. Phone-in betting is an obvious convenience that has had horseplayers' fingers dexterously dialling the daily double
digitally.
"We now have on-line wagering systems,"
updates Willmot, " And we're about to get approval for wireless application with that system."
Much of that allows the horse lover to get his bet in without having to go to the track, but Willmot realized early that there was something drastically wrong with the look of Woodbine in terms of people who might enjoy watching live racing.
"Woodbine was built by E.P. Taylor in the '50's as a summer -time, day-time facility," says Willmot," When the standardbreds starting racing here at night, this was not a welcoming place. If a potential new racing fan came to Rexdale and 27 at night, he wouldn't even know where to start. None of it was lit. It looked like a dark and scary place."
Turning a dark and scary place into a crowd magnet was not cheap. Woodbine Entertainment Group has spent $10.5 million just brightening up the front of the track, giving it attractive lighting and changing the main entrance from the basement to the first floor. Combined with the bells and whistles that promote the slot machines inside, Woodbine now, finally, looks like a place where something exciting is happening.
Under Willmot's guidance, racing is getting much more exposure. Large chunks of live cards can be seen weekly on Sportsnet and The Score. And much more than ever before, the media is being accessed on a regular and aggressive manner. Ten, fifteen years ago, a few sports directors might have received a letter telling them about a big race. Now, before every significant stakes event, 200
invited guests gather in the track-side tent, meet the racing principals, gorge on a complementary buffet and enjoy the souvenir caps. Attend a post-posi- tion draw and you may rub shoulders with
Pinball Clemens, Don Cherry, Doug Gilmour, Ken Dryden, Lennox Lewis, Dick Pound, NASCAR Driver Geoff Bodine, Swimsuit Model Kylie Bax, Wrestling Stars Stacy Keibler and Trish Stratas or Canadian skating luminaries Jamie Sale and David Pelletier,
There's something else that David Willmot did that no previous track CEO would even have considered. He started buying harness horses. It's an important point to him.
"This company has committed itself to being a dual breed organization," he emphasizes," Our board representation is virtually equal parts thoroughbred and standardbred. That wasn't the case several years ago."
Willmot's Kinghaven Farms has always been associated with success on the jockey's side of things and it sure didn't take him long to hit the winner's circle big-time on the sulky side.
"When Bob Anderson approached me about being partners on a nice trotting filly, I said yes. That was Southwind Allaire. She won the Hambletonian Oaks and was an American and Canadian Champion. And then the pacing filly we own, Cabrini Hanover was just named co-two- year-old champion and is one of the finalists for the O'brien Awards in Canada. So at this stage, I own three standardbreds and two are champions."
Being the boss and owning horses can, however, be a double-edged sword. During a stakes elimination race a few months ago, Cabrini Hanover was involved in an incident, but the judges ruled that she should not be taken down. On at least one internet site - Harnessdrivers.com - Willmot took some heat, the suggestion being that presidential clout prevented his horse from being disqualified. Willmot is aghast at the suggestion.
"The stewards and judges do not work for this company. They work for the racing Commission," there is more than a trace of indignation in Willmot's voice,
"A few years ago, I actually went over the histo- ry of Kinghaven Farms to find out how many times we were moved up into the winner's position on disqualification and how many times we were taken down," Willmot makes compete eye contact to insure his visitor understands the proof,
"It was 19-3 in favour of being taken down. I would suggest that there is almost a higher standard of toughness by the stewards and judges because they don't want to be seen to be favouring directors of this company."
I ask the President if he bets and it turns out, he does, but only on occasion.
"I think owning horses is the big bet. I'll bet on the Queen's Plate or the International when I'm involved officially. I actually handicap the night before and have some fun betting."
His biggest score?
"I hit an exactor at Fort Erie several years ago. I think it paid $240 and I had it for $20."
Making that $2400 bonanza even more satisfying is that it was Willmot's horse that won the race.
"Our filly was Amerigirl. Trainer John Tamarro said to me she worked like a champion on grass. She went out and she was just awesome, as I recall beating a short-priced favorite."
David Willmot is now in his tenth year at the helm of WEG. There is so much that he could look at proudly, so many accomplishments. If he were the kind of guy to crow about his work, maybe he could stretch out at the front of his ship, his arms wrapped around his filly as he shouts,
"I'm King of the (horse racing) World!"
Instead, the President, CEO and Chairman is very worried. Willmot sees a clear and present danger to the game; a veritable horse racing tsunami threatening to wipe out entire industries. Next month in The Game, David Willmot talks about the most serious problem facing Horse racing today.
SEA WALL
STORM BIRD - CHARMING SASSAFRAS BY SASSAFRAS
BREEDERS
DO YOU HAVE A
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READ THESE STATS:
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14 Starters (82%)
12 winners (71%)
3 SW (18%)
$US earnings $2,009,408 aei: 3.43
Compare with Silver Deputy ($40,000) 25 foals / 19 winners aei: 3.30
STANDING AT
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