Hastings' Weekly Round-Up
Hastings' Weekly Round-Up
We hope your last-minute shopping is going well, you are close to that first eggnog of the season and have five minutes to enjoy the final newsletter of 2023!
Happy Holidays!
On behalf of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association of British Columbia (HBPA BC), I’d very much like to take this opportunity to send everyone connected with racing and breeding here in BC our very warmest wishes for the Holiday period.
I’m sure we’d all agree that the 2023 season was not without its challenges. However, once again, the sheer determination, commitment and hard-work demonstrated by everyone involved in our magnificent sport, ensured we were able to navigate every obstacle we encountered.
Racing could not, and would not, survive without the dedication of so many people and that very much includes the owners who continue to invest, the Racing club members who support us in such numbers each season and the casual fans and bettors whose continued enthusiasm helps us keep the show on the road.
Dates are now official for another 45-day meet in 2024 and I’m sure we’re all looking forward to training beginning at Hastings once again at the end of January.
In the meantime, as we pause to be with our families, reflect upon another year and remember those unable to make it this far, we’d like to thank every single member of the HBPA of BC a peaceful and joyful end to 2023 and the very best of racing luck for 2024!
David Milburn,
President
HBPA BC
Woodbine 2023 Thoroughbred meet delivers strong results despite concerning industry trends
TORONTO, December 20, 2023 – Woodbine Entertainment today announced the 2023 Thoroughbred season produced an all-sources handle of $613,125,180 CAD. This is the second largest single-season handle in Woodbine’s history, but down $8 million from 2022.
“Our 2023 Thoroughbred racing meet produced very strong results thanks to our exciting racing product, the strength of the Woodbine brand, and the hard work of our team and the entire horse racing community,” said Michael Copeland, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “The results are especially encouraging considering the industry trends our sport is facing with increased competition from sports betting, growing purses in some jurisdictions largely due to ancillary gaming revenues, extreme weather factors that have cancelled an unprecedented number of race cards, North American horse supply, and larger macroeconomic factors like inflation and the uncertainty of the U.S. dollar.
“While we are proud of our results, we cannot be complacent, and we need to focus on the industry trends and other opportunities that will help us navigate these headwinds.”
In 2023, a total of 1,180 races were contested over 128 dates of racing compared to 1,198 races over 132 dates in 2022. Woodbine ran four less dates and 18 less races in 2023 due to an unprecedented number of cancelled race cards (5) because of extreme heat and poor air quality caused by smoke from forest fires across Canada.
The average field size for those races was 8.2, the same as 2022, and above the industry average.
In Ontario, wagering on Woodbine Thoroughbred racing by customers across the province was down 6.2% ($81.8 million this season vs $87.2 million in 2022).
The decline in home market wagering was partially mitigated by a foreign market handle of $512 million, a decrease from $515 million in 2022, though still a remarkable gain from the previous record of $420 million in 2021. The $512 million in foreign market handle was supported by a strong U.S. dollar.
The average handle per race in 2023 was a record $519,597. This is an increase of $580 per race from 2022.
To address the increased competition from an emerging licensed sports betting market, Woodbine Entertainment announced a partnership with global sports betting leader bet365 prior to The King’s Plate. It includes the integration of pari-mutuel horse racing into bet365’s licensed sportsbook platform in Ontario. Woodbine plans to integrate its racing product in additional licensed Ontario sports books in 2024 in hopes of generating increased handle in the province and engagement with a new audience.
“We are operating on a very solid foundation that positions us well to manage the current industry and economic trends,” added Copeland. “We also have opportunities before us that have not been fully realized yet, like the integration of racing into licensed sportsbooks, which will have a positive impact.”
Key Highlights
Second highest single-season all-sources handle ($613M) in Woodbine history
Second highest single-season foreign handle ($512M) in Woodbine history
Record-breaking average per-race handle of $519,597
Average field size of 8.2 (above North American industry average)
Woodbine saw the return of the King’s Plate for the first time in over 70 years with winner Paramount Prince. The total all-sources wagering on King’s Plate day was a record $18,127,049
The integration of pari-mutuel racing into bet365’s licensed online sports book in Ontario
The 2024 Woodbine Thoroughbred season is scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 27. The 165th running of The King’s Plate will take place on Saturday, August 17.
For the latest information on Woodbine Racetrack, visit Woodbine.com or follow @WoodbineTB or @WoodbineComms on Twitter.
Apprentice Fraser Aebly is Reaching His Goals
Motivation and inspiration are always close at hand for Fraser Aebly, an Albertan who moved his tack to Woodbine in October.
By: Chris Lomon, Woodbine Communications |
When he slipped on the sky blue silks featuring an ornate white butterfly on the front, along with white and black hoops, the 19-year-old apprentice rider was, as always, focused on giving his horse the best shot at winning the race.
As he made his way from the Woodbine jockeys’ room to the paddock for the first race on October 13th, Fraser Aebly felt, somewhat ironically, a few butterflies of his own as he got a leg up on Lulu’s Lullaby, a 3-year-old daughter of Wicked Tune-Lulu’s Blues, trained and owned by Krista Cole-Simpson.
“My parents [Derek and Dale] had driven, in my car, all the way from Vancouver to Toronto,” recounted Aebly, who hails from Grande Prairie, Alberta, a city of around 75,000 residents that lies 460 kilometres (265 miles) northwest of Edmonton. “They were at the races that night.”
He was hoping to give them something to cheer about on what was his second day riding at Woodbine.
Although he had won races in Western Canada, namely, Hastings Park, Assiniboia Downs and Century Mile, Aebly, who had moved his tack to Woodbine in October, was looking to record his first victory at the country’s highest-profile racetrack.
Lulu’s Lullaby, who came into the race winless in five starts, was sent on her way in the five-furlong sprint over the inner turf at 7-1.
Aebly kept his filly out of the three-horse tussle up front and settled the bay into fourth. Content with where he was positioned into the turn, Aebly then called upon the Florida-bred for her best run. The duo began to methodically reel in their rivals at the quarter-pole and swung out four wide to seize command at the eighth pole.
When Aebly took a glance at the infield tote board, he liked what he saw.
“It was my first time riding on the inner turf,” started Aebly. “It was a perfect trip with how everything set up for us. You see that wire getting closer and closer, and you start to get this feeling of happiness that comes over you.”
Lulu’s Lullaby crossed the wire a 1 ¾-length winner.
“To see how happy everyone was, Krista, the groom, and everyone associated with the horse – that was amazing,” said Aebly. “My parents had huge smiles on their faces, and you could see what it meant to them. It meant a lot to me too.”
There was, however, one notable absence at the rail on that Friday afternoon.
His sister, Andie, passed away on September 30, 2021, after injuries suffered in a dirt bike accident. She was 14.
“It’s tough for all of us,” said Aebly. “It’s not something you ever want to deal with. Andie was a great sister and a great daughter. She persevered through so much. She has been and will always be a great inspiration to me.”
Horse For Sale
Friday Nights Under the Hastings’ Lights
Season Begins Saturday April 27 with New Afternoon Start Time and 15 Friday Evenings Scheduled
Vancouver, BC – Hastings Racecourse staged four Friday Nights Under the Lights race cards in 2023 with each of them attracting enthusiastic crowds and noticeable increased wagering both on and off track.
“In fact, the response was so positive our Board of Directors was unanimously onside to increase Friday Night racing to 15 dates in 2024,” says David Milburn, President of The Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association (HBPA-BC). “Improving betting handles is the lifeblood of our industry.”
The 2024 Live Racing Calendar at Hastings launches Saturday, April 27 and ends Sunday, October 20. The 15 Friday Night cards begin May 10 and run through September 6, all with 7 p.m. PDT start times.
“We’re so pleased the Hastings horsemen and horsewomen were willing to be flexible and go with 15 Friday Nights,” says Dawn Lupul, Manager of Racing & Communications. “Not only do Friday nights attract a younger demographic on site, they also fill a void for our simulcast audience in different markets with different time zones throughout North America and worldwide for that matter.”
The total 45 race dates in 2024 also include 21 Saturday afternoons and six Sunday afternoons with new 2:30 p.m. PDT start times, two holiday Monday matinee cards on Canada Day July 1 and BC Day August 5, as well as a 7 p.m. start on Monday, August 26 during the PNE Fair.
The 2024 Hastings Stakes schedule will be announced in the new year.
New Stride News
Bloodhorse Daily — Thursday, December 20
