Page 19 - September 2005 The Game
P. 19

Your Thoroughbred Racing Community Newspaper
The Game, September 2005 19
HBPA Update
HBPAAdministrativeOffices:135Queen’sPlateDrive,Suite370,Toronto,ON,M9W6V1 phone:416-747-5252
Weights & Wagering
Report from the Executive Director
I have received several calls and comments recently with respect to the interview I gave Kelly Counsell which was published in the August/September 2005 edition of the Canadian Thoroughbred. The comments were not only unanimously positive and supportive, they were applauding the HBPA’s position and strategy in regards to Woodbine’s proposition of suggesting a shorter racing season.
The May/June 2005 issue of the
magazine had quoted Mr. Willmot
(President and CEO of Woodbine Entertainment) as having a personal preference of racing from “Kentucky Oaks day to the Sunday after the Breeders‚ Cup.” A six month meet!
The HBPA’s position is, without question, to “maintain a minimum of 167 days, if not to expand on them, in the Long Term.” As I clearly indicated in the interview, “We are not prepared at this time to entertain anything less than 167 days.”
Our current contract with Woodbine expires on March 31, 2008. During the 2006 and 2007 racing seasons, Woodbine is contractually obligated to provide 167 live days of racing to the horsemen. If we were to accept anything less than 167 days, it would jeopardize our industry in totality. How could we ever maintain a labour force with a shorter meet? It’s tough enough for people to work in this industry nine or ten months a year and take two to three months off now. If we shrink the live racing days, shrink our industry to six months,
we are going to lose a lot of our labour force. They are going to need other jobs to support their families. We need to enhance and increase our workforce, not encourage them to leave our industry. The industry cannot and will not be viable if we have less live racing.
The interview also discussed the challenges that horsemen and the industry face at present. Without question, the survival of our industry relies on our joint (horsemen & racetracks)
marketing strategies. We, as an industry, must become less reliant on slot revenue and produce additional revenue streams through parimutual wagering. We have to get customers out to the track. More importantly however, is getting those same customers to come back over and over again. I don’t think we have done a good job of getting these people to come back. We must also appeal to the younger patron. We need to find the button that will create the younger market. Holden Poker has been able to capture this demographic by storm. No one can ever convince me that TV poker is more exciting than the Kentucky Derby. Let’s work towards getting back to the glory days and prove once again that we have the best entertainment product available.
Keep on sending me your thoughts and comments everyone.
Don’t forget that the HBPA Annual General Meeting is on September 29, 2005 at Verdi’s Banquet Hall. For tickets, call Catherine Duclos at 416-747-5252 x 0.
Horsepeople have noticed the higher weights carried by horses throughout 2005.
This has come about as a result of an effort by jockeys throughout North America to raise the minimum weights.
Horsepeople are sympathetic to the difficulties many jockeys face in making weight. Jockeys believe a minimum weight of 116 pounds, except for sex or apprentice allowance, will help most jockeys have a more comfortable time making weight. For there to be a minimum of 116 pounds, the weights horses carry in an average race must rise. The result has been a steady diet of 122 or 124 pounds for horses in Ontario this year.
The HBPA has requested that an effort be made to lower these high weights. The success of apprentice riders in 2005 reflects trainers’ efforts to stay away from these high imposts. It is difficult to have a minimum weight of 116 and still allow age allowances, condition allowances, Canadian bred and weight for money allowances. The 3-year-old allowance in spring can be 8 or 10 pounds depending on distance.
The racing secretaries at Woodbine and Fort Erie have agreed to some changes to lower weights for the balance of 2005. For the long term, John Blakney of the ORC has requested a meeting, in February of 2006, of the HBPA, Jockeys’ Guild and racing secretaries to try to arrive at a workable solution for the future.
It must be noted that these changes will end the traditions of handicap horseracing by eliminating low and high weight imposts. There will no longer be a need for natural lightweight riders.
For HBPA news, the 2005 summer Can-Am convention was held at the Westin Harbour Castle this past July with representatives from HBPA’s throughout North America attending. Nick Coukos and his staff received praise from all for an outstanding five days.
The highlight presentation was a panel on wagering with representatives of Magna, Youbet, Betfair, New York O.T.B., AutoTote and Andrew MacDonald of WEG.
Wagering has evolved from simulcasting one race, to multi track simulcasting to internet wagering and off shore rebate shops. A problem arises because as Tom Meeker of Churchill Downs comments, “that economic model is not the right model to benefit racing.” Currently horsemen and racetrack owners are not receiving their fair share from rebate shops.
The HBPA is working with the industry for a reasonable solution. Conrad Cohen is attending a simulcasting conference in Lexington in October while Nick Coukos will attend an international simulcasting summit in New Orleans. HBPA president John Roark believes “An interna- tional racing hub is vital to the industry. If we can get that up and operating it could double purses.”
- Bruce M. Pollock
Executive Director Nick Coukos
Congratulations to Graduates
Attention HBPA Benefit Plan Members
The HBPA would like to congratulate the graduates of the 2005 Skills Improvement Courses. All graduates will receive a graduation certificate as well as an HBPA Skills Improvement jacket, courtesy of the HBPA.
The Skills Improvement Course will be offered again in the Spring of 2006 and you are asked to contact the HBPA office in March for more details.
The HBPA would also like to thank the teachers of the Skills Improvement Courses for a job well done in 2005.
Thank You to Julia Samulak and Yvonne Kaiser at Woodbine and Claudia Rabstein and Candace Warwick at Fort Erie.
Shedrow of the Month
Congratulations to James Smith and his crew who are the winners of Shedrow of the Month for August 2005 at Woodbine. Shedrow of the month winners at Woodbine receive $100.00 from the HBPA and $100.00 from WEG.
Congratulations to Armand Concessi and his crew who are the winners of Shedrow of the Month for July and congratulations to Heather Creath and her crew who are the winners of Shedrow of the Month for August 2005 at Fort Erie. Shedrow of the month winners at Fort Erie receive $100.00 from the HBPA.
Final Trainer Testing of 2005
The final Assistant Trainer/Trainer testing of the 2005 season will be held at Fort Erie on September 21 and 23. Completed applications must be in the HBPA office by 3pm on September 7, 2005.
For more information contact the HBPA Fort Erie Backstretch Office at 1-800-295-3770 ext. 3249
For those who have the HBPA Group Benefit Plan (medical, dental and pension plan etc.) under “Class C” which would include tradesmen, jockeys, agents, breeders and other affiliates; the HBPA requires that a photocopy of your valid ORC license be on file each year.
If you have not already submitted a photocopy of your 2005 license, you are still required to do so.
For those plan members who do not have a license, a letter explaining your association with thoroughbred racing in Ontario is necessary to maintain your status.
A failure to comply will result in a cancellation of your benefits.
You can drop off a copy of your 2005 ORC license at the HBPA Backstretch office or mail a copy to: HBPA, 135 Queen’s Plate Drive, Suite 370, Toronto, ON, M9W 6V1, attention J. Samulak.
For additional information call the HBPA Administration Office at 416-747-5252 or the backstretch office at Woodbine 416-675-3802 or Fort Erie 905-871-3200, ext. 3249.
Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings
Every Tuesday at 1pm
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