Page 16 - April 2008 The Game

16 The Game, April 2008 HBPA Ontario Update Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper HBPA Administrative Of ces: 135 Queen’s Plate Drive, Suite 370, Toronto, Ontario M9W 6V1
Phone: 416-747-5252
Report from the Executive Director
Here we go again, another year of live racing in Ontario begins this month with an opening at Woodbine on Saturday April 5, 2008. We will race 167 days (which of course has been stabilized as per our horsemen’s contract with Woodbine Entertainment) and our race meet will close out on December 7, 2008. We will have our full complement of racing days at Woodbine with a purse structure of approximately $90 million mirroring the past couple of years with of course some tweaking this season. The most signi cant tweak will be the introduc- tion of the Ontario Bred Bonus program which will be implemented at both Woodbine and Fort Erie this season.
To grandfather existing horses into the new program, any foal on the ground 2007 or earlier will be considered eligible for the bonus if it had foaled out in Ontario. An eligible horse will lose its eligibility to receive the bonus when it is claimed after January 1, 2008.
This new component of the Ontario Horse Improvement Program provides
a percentage bonus to eligible Registered Ontario Bred horses earning purse money in open racing in Ontario. As we discussed in last months report, and certainly worth repeating, the program has been speci cally de ned as follows:
Additionally at Woodbine for 2008, purse offerings have remained consistent to 2007 in overnights with of course the increase result to the Ontario bred re ective of the program
A horse is eligible to the Ontario Bred Bonus Program and will receive the Bonus if:
At Fort Erie, the Ontario Bred Bonus Program will of course be part of the $9.1 million in purses paid in 2008. The purse offering will be consistent to the 2007 program. The $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes, the 1 3/16 mile race for Canadian bred 3 year olds and the second leg of Canada’s Triple Crown, is the showpiece of the meeting and will be run on July 13. Fort Erie will race 80 days this season, a slight decrease from last year’s 84. Opening day will be the traditional Kentucky Derby day of Saturday May 3rd, with a closing date of October 28, 2008.
1) The horse is a Registered Ontario Bred horse, registered as such by the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Ontario Division);
2) The dam was recognized by the Program as a resident mare in the year of foaling out; and
3) The horse has not been claimed in any prior race.
Special considerations will be established for the Program start in 2008.
See you at the races.
HBPA Backstretch Office Hours
In 2008 a Bonus of 10% will be paid to eligible horses as part of the purse.
implemented. Purse increases have been made to the open $125,000 stakes which now become $150,000 in 2008. As well, a purse increase adjustment has been made to two major stakes, namely the Northern Dancer and Summer Stakes.
HBPA Trainer Testing Schedule 2008
Applications for Trainer and Assistant Trainer testing are due two weeks prior to the test date. Only complete applications will be accepted. Applications are now available at the Woodbine HBPA Backstretch Of ce.
HBPA Trainer and Assistant Trainer Testing Schedule 2008:
April 23, 2008 - Fort Erie Racetrack
May 28, 2008 - Both Woodbine and Fort Erie Racetracks
July 9, 2008 - Both Woodbine and Fort Erie Racetracks
September 24, 2008 - Both Woodbine and Fort Erie Racetracks
For more information contact the HBPA Backstretch Of ce, 416-675-3802.
The HBPA Backstretch of ce at Woodbine is now open Monday to Friday from 7am to 3pm. The of ce will be open seven days a week at the start of the 2008 racing season on April 5.
The HBPA Backstretch of ce at Fort Erie is now open Monday to Friday from 7am to 3pm and will be open seven days a week beginning May 3.
The HBPA Administrative Of ce is open regular business hours 8am to 4pm.
Skill Improvement Courses
The HBPA will once again be hosting Skill Improvement Courses for horse- people at Woodbine and Fort Erie race tracks.
Practical; Anatomy and Physiology; and the Business of Horse Racing courses will be offered.
Visit the HBPA of Ontario on-line at www.hbpa.on.ca
The Big Race by Nigel Grif ths
On April 5, forty runners will line up for the most famous steeplechase in the world, the Grand National....and most of the population in the UK will have a bet on it.
Red Rum has won the race three times.
Who will win this year - a tough choice at this stage?
The runners will take on thirty fences steeped in history, historic names such as Bechers Brook named after the unfortunate Captain Becher
who ended up in the landing side ditch many years ago, the huge fence called The Chair, Valentines Brook, the Canal Turn and the notori-
Simon was going very well last year until falling at the 24th, but carries too much weight, Point Barrow would have a chance and he fell at the rst fence last year. Cloudy Lane heads the betting after his Grimthorpe Chase on March 1st, but perhaps still has a bit to prove and Comply or Die has greatly improved since the applica- tion of blinkers, but his 21⁄2l second to Cloudy Lane giving him 2lbs will be dif cult to turn around in this.
ous Foinavon fence which gained it’s name after the debacle of 1967 when from the chaos came the 100/1 Foinavon who then galloped on to glory.
Prize money for this grueling 4m4f race sponsored by the brewery John Smiths, now stands at C$1,600,000. This race tests a steeplechaser to the limit for its jumping, staying power and resolution and only the infamous
To speculate as to the winner, well Bewleys Berry has a lot going for him and like Simon, he was going very nicely until falling at the 22nd last year and I would suggest having a shilling on him a 14/1 (16.5 on the Exchanges) just for some fun.
Good Luck!!
TTRC Welcomes New Members
he Toronto Thoroughbred to Arlington Park in Chicago. Racing Club (TTRC) is ready to The TTRC also hosts an annual
For more information contact the HBPA backstretch of ces at Woodbine and Fort Erie. Classes are scheduled to begin in May depending on interest and enrollment.
kick off their 47th year with their rst meeting of 2008 on Wednesday, April 30 in Champions on the third level at Woodbine Racetrack.
Awards Day, scheduled for Sunday, June 15, this year at Woodbine as well as a visit to a local thoroughbred farm and a tour of the Woodbine back- stretch.
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.
The special guest on April 30 will be the popular Bill Tallon, Canadian Editor, Daily Racing Form.
Registration for new members begins at 7pm. Guests are welcome to stop by to see what the TTRC is all about.
Each meeting also includes a handicapping contest with a chance to win prizes as well as an assortment of refreshments.
Schedule for TTRC 2008 meeting dates: (meeting begin at 8pm)
Along with promoting the thrilling and exciting sport of thoroughbred racing, the TTRC also offers excit- ing events for its members includ-
ing an annual bus trip to prestigious race tracks in the United States and Canada. Last year the TTRC travelled
Wed., April 30; Wed., May 14; TTRC Awards Day, Sunday, June 15; Wed., July 9; Wed., August 13; Annual Bus Trip, August 19 to Au- gust 24; Wed., September 10; Wed., October 8; Wed., November 12; and Wed., December 3.
Dates for the farm tour and the back- stretch tour are still to be determined.
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