Page 12 - The Game October 2006

12 The Game, October 2006 Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
Quarterhorse Racing At Ajax Downs:
Norm Picov HasWaited 37YearsTo See His SportTake Off
By Peter Gross
There’s not too many human endeavours that can be completed in less than 18 seconds. Heck – the first 20 words of this story took longer than that to type. You can’t change your bed that quickly, or fry an egg or even make an intelligent choice on the daily double.
But at Ajax Downs, plenty happens in 18 seconds. Eight fast horses in the gate. The bell erupts. The horses burst out. Jockeys scream and ride as their horses barrel down the straight. 350 yards to the finish and nobody is holding back. Eighteen seconds, give or take a hundredth, from gate to wire. It’s quarter horse racing as good as it gets in Canada and, lately, it’s been getting much better.
It’s called Ajax Downs, easily found on Highway 2 just east of Salem Road in Ajax, but for many years, it bore the name of its owner Norm Picov. Picov wanted to feature his favourite breed of horse more than 37 years ago.
“We started in 1969 without any race days - just sport racing,” he says from under the big white cowboy hat that makes him look every inch the hero of a special breed, “We started with three pari-mutuel race days, and it took several years after that to get more but eventually with the support of (Racing Commissioner) Frank Drea, we got 20 days and from then on it’s been his- tory.”
Not a particularly prosperous history for a few decades, it should be noted. In the early 80’s, you could barely fill your tank on what constituted the winner’s share of a heat. But as racetracks throughout Ontario reaped the terrific benefits that came from on-site slot machines, Picov began lobbying the Provincial Government to cut him a slice of the profitable pie.
“It was about an eight year process,” says Picov about the art of massaging the politicos, “It’s not the location that wasn’t right. They didn’t feel there were enough horses in the industry to warrant it.”
So Picov made sure our elected officers were equipped with the facts.
“There’s about 24,000 quarter horses in Ontario and 172,000 in Canada,” he points out, “That’s more than thoroughbred or standardbreds.”
For the most part, the majority of quarter
horses didn’t have the opportunity to fly out of a starting gate. They’re used as barrel racers or pleasure horses and pole benders. Until very recently, it just wasn’t financially persuasive to race a quarter horse.
But on March 1, 2006, 200 slot machines began graciously accepting coins and Picov Downs happily became the Ajax Slots With Live Racing Every Sunday. According to Picov, there seems to be many happy gamblers in the Ajax vicinity.
“I can tell you that our slots figure per day is the highest in Ontario,” he says with just a slight smile of pride, “I’m not saying exactly, but we’re ahead of all others.”
The difference to the purse structure has been profound and immediate. Last year, the average race was worth about $2000. This year, they’re running for more than $6000 a sprint, with stakes races worth at least $15,000 each. Based on the anticipat- ed returns from the slots and simulcasting, purses will rise almost $2000 a race for each of the next five years, so that in 2010, each race, completed in about 18 seconds, will be worth more than $13,000.
That’s more than fine as far as tough and tiny Kim Ito is concerned. The 30 year-old jockey has certainly hooked up with the right connections. She rides for trainer Don Reid and between them, their numbers are
not of this planet. Before the Sunday that brought me to Ajax, Ito had piled up 44 wins in just 96 races; that means she’s winning at a rate of 46%. Reid has sent out 51 winners from 139 tries and his horses have earned over $264,000.
“IhadaponywhenIwasakidandIdid the horse show thing,” says a buoyant Ito explaining her passion for the quarter horse, “ I always wanted to ride race horses so when I was in my early 20s, I came here and got on some horses.”
Ito is Ajax Downs leading rider. In second place is 25 year-old Brian Bell who sees the distinct possibility of leaping from Picov’s farm to the big-time at Woodbine.
“It is a very good learning experience,” says Bell, “Coming out of the gate on fast horses. It’s just an adrenaline rush. You can’t blink or the race is done.”
If Bell does graduate to riding horses at Woodbine, he will be following the script written by many familiar names in Canadian racing. Francine Villeneuve, Helen Vanek, Daniel David, Constant Montpellier, Corey Fraser and Dean Deverell are among many who put in at least 18 seconds of their careers on Picov’s dirt strip.
Frank Ferrari can’t stay away from Ajax. Mind you as the track announcer for 22
years, he’s supposed to be here. But how do you call a race that’s off one second and across the finish line just moments later?
“The race is over within half a minute,” says Ferrari (whose name alone conveys exceptional speed), “So you memorize the field. You try and anticipate the horses that will break first and then you focus on the top two or three runners down the stretch.”
The first race of this particular Sunday was won by a four year-old mare named My Heart Is Dashing and her jockey Krista Cole was clearly thrilled.
“She ran awesome. She kept gaining and passed everybody,” said Cole and it turned out this one was a little bit special on at least a couple of counts.
“This is my first win this year,” said a smiling Cole, “And I turn 28 tomorrow.”
I don’t know when Kim Ito’s birthday is, but don’t worry about her paying her bills this month. She got the favourite Sweet Little Chivato to the wire first in a shade under 18 seconds for the 350 yards that was
required in the second race. Then Ito came right back to squeeze out a neck victory with Extra Foxy Fisher in the third. Both of those winners were owned by Ivy Lane Racing and trained by Don Reid. The third race carried a purse of $6387. The winner gets half and the jockey gets a tenth of that. So Ito earned a little more than $300 in the space of 18 seconds. That works out to about $54,000 an hour, just in case you were curious.
Quarter horse racing at Ajax Downs has nothing but bright days ahead. Plans have already been sculpted to build a new track with stands a little east of the present strip so that the thundering horses will run right past the Slots Building. It’s a $3million project, with most of the money coming from the Provincial Government’s cut of the slots profits.
“The new track were going to build will be a 5/8th oval.” Says Picov, “The new facility will be the most modern quarter horse track in Canada.”
And before I go, Norm Picov makes sure I understand one fundamental fact and he states his case in much less than 18 seconds.
“Quarter Horse racing is the fastest growing industry in Ontario.”
For more information on Quarter Horse Racing in Ontario: http://www.qrooi.com
Track owner Norm Picov still going strong.
Jockey Brian Bell and owner Rick Kennedy
Photo left: leading rider Kim Ito on another winner - Sweet Little Chivato
Photo Right: Peter discovered that Krista Cole is tall for a jockey
Race Caller Frank Ferrari
Second Annual Here Comes The Sun Luncheon
Trainer Elizabeth Charalambous and her family hosted the second annual “Here Comes The Sun” Luncheon in memory of her mother Marianne Elder, on September 10 at the Woodbine Trackside Tent.
Marianne Elder passed away in March 2001 after a battle with Ovarian Cancer and the “Here Comes The Sun” luncheon was named after her racehorse who competed at Woodbine. All the proceeds from the luncheon were being donated to the South Lake Hospital in Newmarket where they are building a new Cancer Care Centre.
Close to 180 friends, family and horsepeople in attendance enjoyed a
wonderful sunny day of racing as well as a terrific luncheon, a silent auction and door prizes. Former broadcaster and jockey, Stacie Clark-Rogers was the M.C. for the event and several Woodbine jockeys made an appearance and spoke to the crowd.
Pictured here from left to right are: Jockey, Justin Stein; Elizabeth Charalambous and her daughter Sophie in front; Jockey, Gerry Olguin(back); Master of Ceremonies, Stacie Clark-Rogers; Carly Elder; Michelle Day (in front); Chad Elder (back): Michael Day (in front); James Elder; Jake Elder; and Jockey, Richard Dos Ramos.