Hastings 2024 is in the Books
The 2024 racing season at Hastings Racecourse concluded on October 13 with strong results for the year
By Greg Douglas
Vancouver, BC – The 2024 racing season at Hastings Racecourse concluded on October 13 with strong results for the year, highlighted by significant growth in key areas, despite a slight decrease in overall wagering compared to last year.
Total wagering for the season reached $21,531,203, a 4% decline from 2023. The decrease was primarily due to one fewer racing day and 36 fewer races in 2024. However, the average wagering per race saw a notable increase of 7.8%, demonstrating positive momentum with the product.
“We were quite pleased with some of the increases and progress we saw this year,” said Dawn Lupul, Manager of Racing and Communications at BC Racebook. “We made some changes to the schedule with the addition of Friday nights and were on FanDuel TV on a regular basis this year, providing additional access to the core horse racing and sporting fans. We are so thankful to the fans for another great season.”
The 2024 season also showcased impressive performances by the top jockeys and trainers. Amadeo Perez claimed the title of leading jockey with 62 Wins, earning over $847,000 and finishing in the top three 65% of the time. On the training side, Steve Henson finished first with 51 Wins and the second highest earnings of $534,000. Second was Barbara Heads who had 28 Wins and $578,000 in earnings.
As the 2024 season closes, preparations are already underway for the 2025 racing season, set to resume in the spring.
Voting Underway in HBPA Elections
Technical glitches to the online voting system caused by the recent Hurricane Milton have now been sorted and voting has begun in the HBPA elections. Please remember to vote and, if you have not yet registered to vote, please contact Neil Stajkowski as soon as possible.
Neil Stajkowski
HBPA-BC, HBPA-Canada
Secretary Treasurer
HBPANeilS@gmail.com
Mobile: 604.831.8408
The Jockey Club Releases 2023 Breeding
and 2024 Live Foal Statistics
The Jockey Club today reported that 1,181 stallions covered 28,104 mares in North America during 2023, according to statistics compiled through October 13, 2024. These breedings have resulted in 17,700 live foals of 2024 being reported to The Jockey Club on Live Foal Reports.
The Jockey Club estimates that the number of live foals reported so far is 85-95 percent complete. The reporting of live foals of 2024 is down 2.4 percent from last year at this time when The Jockey Club received reports for 18,143 live foals of 2023.
In addition to the 17,700 live foals of 2024 reported through October 13, The Jockey Club also received 1,979 No Foal Reports for the 2024 foaling season. Ultimately, the 2024 registered foal crop is projected to reach 18,000.
The number of stallions declined 5.4 percent from the 1,248 reported for 2022 at this time last year, while the number of mares bred declined 1.6 percent from the 28,548 reported for 2022.
The 2024 breeding statistics are available alphabetically by stallion name through the online Fact Book on The Jockey Club website at jockeyclub.com.
Kentucky annually leads all states and provinces in terms of Thoroughbred breeding activity. Kentucky-based stallions accounted for 60.7 percent of the mares reported bred in North America in 2023 and 65.6 percent of the live foals reported for 2024.
The 17,056 mares reported bred to 211 Kentucky stallions in 2023 have produced 11,605 live foals, a .4 percent increase on the 11,564 Kentucky-sired live foals of 2023 reported at this time last year. The number of mares reported bred to Kentucky stallions in 2023 increased 1.4 percent compared to the 16,827 reported for 2022 at this time last year.
The following table shows those 10 states and provinces with the most mares covered in 2023 sorted by number of state/province-sired live foals of 2024 reported through October 13, 2024.
The statistics include 176 foals by stallions standing in North America but foaled abroad, as reported by foreign stud book authorities at the time of publication. The table below shows the location and count of those foals.
The report also includes 66 mares bred to 24 stallions in North America on Southern Hemisphere time; most of these mares have not foaled. In 2022, there were 67 mares bred to 23 stallions in North America on Southern Hemisphere time.
The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and directly or through subsidiaries, it serves the information and technology needs of the sport of Thoroughbred racing. Among its many supported initiatives are America’s Best Racing (americasbestracing.net), OwnerView (ownerview.com), and the Thoroughbred Incentive Program (tjctip.com). Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.
Ghostzapper to stand in Ontario
Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa has announced that former Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, will switch to Frank Stronach"s Adena Springs Farm in Aurora, Ontario.
The move will likely be the son of Awesome Again’s final year at stud.
John G. Sikura, owner of Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa said: "I want to thank Frank Stronach for the privilege of standing Ghostzapper at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. It has been our honor to stand this outstanding sire and exceptional breed-shaping stallion. His record at stud will influence the breed for generations. At this point in his career Ghostzapper is deserving to relocate and reunite with Adena who bred, raced, and supported him at stud. Mr Stronach has a great affection for the horse and wishes to have him at Adena."
Ghostzapper will cover a limited book in 2025, supported by Adena, said the farm.
The Best of 2024
Bloodhorse Daily Headlines — Saturday, October 19
