Page 17 - July 2007 The Game

Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper The Game, July 2007 17
More Rewards on the Horizon for Ontario Breeders
Stakes out-of-province winners at the same levels as are paid to Graded Stakes at both Woodbine and Fort Erie Racetracks. Breeders Awards for place and show horses at these levels will be issued should budgeted funds be available. All awards issued will be pro rated, with no award distribution less than $1,000. As these awards are considered Breeders Awards, they will be included in the tabulation of the cap of $75,000 to any individual breeder.
Breeders Awards are just one component of the Ontario TIP program, which has been designed to sup- port Thoroughbred breeders in Ontario in the form of awards, bonuses and purse money worth $9.3 million. For additional information, please contact the CTHS at (416) 675-3602 for visit www.cthsont.com.
Well known for their lucrative Breeders Awards program worth over $2.9 million, the CTHS (Ontario Division) has taken this program one step further by rewarding breeders of Ontario-breds who excel outside of the province. In recognition of these highly talented horses, Breeders Awards will now be distributed to North American Graded Stakes outside of Ontario, within Canada and the United States.
This year alone, successful Ontario-breds have included notables such as Jambalaya who captured both the Gulfstream Breeders' Cup (G1) and the Bulleit Bourbon Pan American Handicap (G3) in Florida; and
Sky Conqueror who took the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs in Kentucky. Other notables include Sealy Hill who won the Bourbonette Breeders' Cup (G3) at Turfway Park in Kentucky; Indian Vale who took the Next Move Handicap (G3) at the Aqueduct in New York; and Street Sounds who scored a (G2) victory in the Stonerside Beaumont Stakes at Keeneland. And the list of Ontario-bred racing accomplishments just keeps growing.
Budgeted at $100,000 through the Ontario Thoroughbred Improvement Program (TIP), awards will be issued to the breeders of Grade 1 through Grade 3
HBPA Ontario Update
HBPAAdministrativeOffices:135Queen’sPlateDrive,Suite370,Toronto,ON,M9W6V1 phone:416-747-5252
Can you believe this? Here we are again in the middle of another summer, the half way point for us in Ontario on the thoroughbred racing scene. Where does the time go? It just feels like yesterday when we were battling the cold in the morning hours trying to get our horses ready for the season. Now we are trying to ensure that all the hard work that went into the preparation of our athletes is paying dividends to us as individual horsemen as well as to our industry as a whole.
From a product (thoroughbred racing) perspective on a mid term basis, betting handle at both racetracks have been performing beyond our expectations. At Fort Erie, the focus of racing primarily on Mondays and Tuesdays in our early stages of the meet has accomplished our objective of providing competitive racing with a field size of over the national average of 8 horses per race. The average starters per race as of the time of writing is 8.17. Why has this occurred? Quite obviously we have earmarked and positioned our product in a time slot
Report from the Executive Director
past slot customers have found another venue for their slot play.
At Woodbine, the numbers are on the rise with both pari-mutual and gaming revenue streams. The on-track wager per race in 2007 is $90,815 compared to the $88,700 in 2006 for the same period. Our off-track numbers have increased to $144,100 vs. $135,300 for the same period. Quite impressively our average starters per race for April/May 2007 is 8.94.
Gaming revenue (Slots) for the first five months of 2007 have increased to a win per unit of $861 compared to a high of $801 for the same period of 2006. Unlike Fort Erie, our gaming customers have continued to support the Woodbine venue which of course can be directly attributed to the lack of competition in the Toronto marketplace as well as the pleasures the facility offers those customers.
Let’s keep up the good work and hope that the numbers are continuing to show positive results.
where the competition for
the betting dollar on a
national and international
basis is less formidable.
Fort Erie racing is well
entrenched among the
bettors who look for opportunities on those
particular days. Our off
track wager per race on
Monday’s and Tuesday’s is
well over $100,000
whereby our off track
wagers on weekends hover around the $50,000 mark per race. Surprisingly our on-track wagering is quite consistent whether our racing occurs during the week or on weekends. The on-track wagering handle thus far has averaged between $9,000 to $11,000 per race. The only exception thus far has been opening day (Kentucky Derby Day) and on HBPA day where our on track wager per race was $16,000 and $17,000 respectfully. Although at first blush this on track
number of approximately $90,000 to $100,000 per card seems low, it is consistent with prior years on track wagering levels. The off-track numbers however are encouraging with the distribution channels well receiving the product on days where there is a void on local scenes. From a gaming revenue mid term report, the grade is not as good however with our win per unit hovering
Executive Director Nick Coukos
around the $115 to $125. This is significantly down from the 2006 spring average of $200 win per unit. Surprisingly our slot win per unit on “live racing days” has not increased to any degree with the increase in bodies at the facility. This can only lead us to believe that at least at Fort Erie, the fans who are coming out for the live racing product are not participating to any significant degree in the slot facility. The other conclusion that can be reached of course is that the
Last Trainer Test for the 2007 Season
HBPA Backstretch Picnic at Woodbine
Change of Location
Shedrow of the Month
The HBPA and WEG at Woodbine as well as the HBPA and Nordic Gaming at Fort Erie are proud to award “Shedrow of the Month” prizes for trainers and their staff whose stable area best exemplifies a clean and safe work environment during that month. Winners at Woodbine will receive a $100 cheque and winners from Fort Erie will receive $200 ($100 HBPA and $100 Nordic).
Congratulations to Shedrow of the Month winner for June at Woodbine - Lorna Perkins & her crew.
Fort Erie’s Shedrow of the Month for May at Fort Erie
- Bancroft DeSouza & his crew.
Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings
Every Tuesday at 1pm - HBPA Trailer Backstretch Woodbine Racetrack
The last Trainer and Assistant Trainer Test for 2007 will be held on September 12 at both Woodbine and Fort Erie Racetracks. All applications for testing must be completed and submitted to the HBPA no later than August 29 at 3pm.
Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
For more information or to obtain your application form contact the HBPA Backstretch Office at Woodbine 416-675-3802 or Fort Erie 905-871-3200, ext. 3249.
After a one year absence, the HBPA will once again be hosting the Woodbine Backstretch Picnic. The Picnic will be held on Monday, July 16 on the backstretch behind the East Gate Security Offices and the main track towers. All cars must park in the dormitory parking lots.
The HBPA is looking for volunteers to help with the picnic. If you are interested in being a volunteer please contact the HBPA backstretch office at 416-675-3802.
HBPA Fort Erie Family Picnic
The HBPA will once again be hosting a Family Picnic for Fort Erie Backstretch Personnel at Sherkston Shores resort. This year’s picnic is scheduled for Thursday, August 9, rain or shine. Posters and announcements on the Fort Erie backstretch will provide additional information. Please sign up at the Fort Erie HBPA Office beginning July 16. Bus transportation from Fort Erie Racetrack will be provided for your convenience.
Calling all Readers!!!
Looking for a good book to read?
Plenty of new reading material has been added to the “Book Swap” at the Fort Erie HBPA Office’s Resource Library.
Please come and browse any time during regular office hours 7am to 3 pm daily.