How we should look for 2012..........

Below is a calendar of how the meet should look for 2012. It is 77 days, 6 more than in 2011. The increase reflects the same amount of days that the Standardbred sector has received.

Important Points 

• No Friday night racing in April or May
• Never do we run 5 in 8 days or 6 in 9 days 
• We extend the meet to November 03

We have 7 “Premier” days of racing.

May 21 Victoria Day

July 01 Canada Day

August 06 BC Cup

Sept 03 Labour Day

Sept 15 BC Derby

October 15 Thanksgiving 

November 02 and 03 Breeders Cup

The last 2 days of racing we finish on Breeders Cup weekend.

Between the two days we run 4 stakes races and 16 overnights.

By extending the meet to November 03 we potentially increase starts per horse by two. Trainers have less of a need to go South for the winter with the longer meet. If the Standardbred sector is unhappy with a meet as such, well that is unfortunate but the Thoroughbred sector needs to assert itself. We cannot continue to take backward steps and expect to survive. Status quo is a backward step. The Thoroughbred sector has stepped up to the plate this year in spite of all that has been against them while the Standardbred sector has disintegrated of which we the bear the consequences.

To the Management Racing Committee……

Owners need a valid reason to buy more horses. A meet for 2012 that does not look similar to the above will do nothing to help the situation. Each member of the "committee" needs to understand that a contributing factor in why we have lost horses the last three years is because owners have less opportunity to run. Our meet has become shorter and shorter.

In 2009 we finished the meet November 07th - The horse pool was 1030.

In 2010 we finished October 11th – The horse pool was 881.

In 2011 we finish October 02nd – The horse pool will be in the 745 range.

By lengthening the meet it gives an owner more opportunity to run a horse and regain his expenses. Finishing in early October leaves nearly 7 months before he or she can once again run their horses.

We need the "committee" to address these three areas..............  

• A meet with 77 days that concludes on Breeders Cup Day.
• An adjustment to the allocation percentages that each breed receives to a 3 to 1 ratio for the Thoroughbred sector which is what the handle ratio is.
• A re-configuring of the $10,000,000 grant/casino revenue that is more in line in delivering the revenue that was originally promised to the Thoroughbred sector.

Only when these three items are adjusted will there be a material recovery in the Thoroughbred sector.

Now please go back up to the top and do the poll.

Now reaching over 590 owners, trainers, breeders, jockeys, jockey agents,
Hastings Management, BCLC, and the Management Racing Committee.
3168 site visits up to and including August 21, 2011.