Page 2 - May 2009 The Game

2 The Game, May 2009
TTRC Welcomes New Members for 2009
Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
Woodbine’s New (Old) Starting Gate
The Toronto Thoroughbred Racing Club (TTRC) kicked off their 48th year with their rst meeting of 2009 on Wednesday, April 29 in Champions on the third level at Woodbine Racetrack.
local thoroughbred farm and a tour of the Woodbine backstretch. Last year’s farm visit was to the beautiful Adena Springs Farm in Aurora.
Woodbine’s starting gate has always
been well-regarded by horsepeople across the continent for its high quality, durability and safety features for human and equine athletes.
So in 2007 when it
was decided that they
needed more than two starting gates on the property, Woodbine Entertainment Group put forth an effort to nd the nest and most secure gate available.
WEG began a worldwide search which resulted in the realization
that Woodbine already had the best starting gate in the sport. So they decided to build their own to the exact speci cations of the one they’re replacing.
“We had the new gate built from scratch,” said Eddie Stutz, Woodbine’s Vice-President of Operations. “No one in the industry has a heavy, solid
gate like ours, so we just duplicated what we had and built it ourselves. It’s a Woodbine exclusive.”
In March of 2008, WEG contracted John
Thurston Machine Limited (JTM), a Brampton rm, to build the custom gate and to have it ready for the start of the 2009 meet.
The replacement cost of the gate tops the $400,000 mark. It measures 50 feet long
and 10,000 pounds. It was tted with wider, softer tires (better for driving over the Polytrack and the turf) to transport the gate and a more camera- friendly colour scheme.
“We started to wonder about having only two gates on the property,” said Dave Malhotra, WEG’s Manager
of Fleet Services and lead on the starting gate project. “They were in use for both training and racing. In the morning a horse could bang a stall and the gate may act up, same thing in the afternoon and we’d be stuck with no gate for racing. We had the gates checked out and x-rayed, and they’re ne, but it was time for a new main gate.”
Malhotra said JTM did an outstanding job on the gate. Small wonder, JTM is an ISO 9001 certi ed facility and did work for the U.S. Space Shuttle programme.
Info from WEG Media Relations
The TTRC gathers monthly for an informative and fun meeting which features a panel of guest speakers including local jockeys, trainers and other celebrities.
An annual membership is $45 per person or $70 per couple. Registration for new members begins at 7pm. Guests are welcome to stop by to see what the TTRC is all about.
Along with promoting the thrilling and exciting sport of thoroughbred racing, the TTRC also offers exciting events for its members including an annual bus trip to prestigious race tracks in the United States and Canada.
Schedule for TTRC 2009 meeting dates: (meeting begins at 8pm)
The TTRC also hosts an annual Awards Day, scheduled for Sunday, June 14, this year at Woodbine as well as a visit to a
Wednesday, May 27; TTRC Awards Day, Sunday, June 14; Wednesday, July
8; Wednesday, August 12; Annual Bus Trip, August 18 to August 23; Wednesday, September 9; Wednesday, October 14; and Wednesday, November 25.
Dates for the farm tour and the backstretch tour are still to be determined.
Dry ColD • intermittent Compression
Preventative and Injury Therapy
Nancy Berman 416.994.6940 • nberman@sportsrecoverysystems.com • www.gamereadyequine.ca
2009
Chaplaincy Golf Tournament
Monday, July 13th, Noon
Glen Eagle Golf Course
Golf
Dinner
Auction
Special Guest:
2007 Grey Cup Champion Argonaut Quarterback
Kerry Joseph
Golf, Dinner & Auction: $150
Dinner and Auction: $75
(registration deadline: July 6th)
All Proceeds Go To Race Track Chaplaincy of
Canada (Ontario)
Call 905.713.4783 for tickets and info
A portion of ticket price is tax deductable
OurGNewt WRebasidteyLafuonrchtehseM2id0-O0c9tober Racing Season!
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