Todd Makes Hall of Fame
The late and very much missed Glen Todd was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame on Wednesday, close to the anniversary of his passing in 2022.
Remarkably, two years have already elapsed since we lost our Hastings’ linchpin and guiding light, Glen Todd. Even so, his influence continues to be seen all around us and his loss remains keenly felt among the backstretch community.
It was a real boost to morale, therefore, to hear Wednesday’s news that Todd, the driving force behind the North American Thoroughbred Horse Company, has been inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
Most of us will have considered his inclusion a formality, but the timing, just a few days before what promises to be another challenging season and close to the anniversary of his passing, is right out of Glen’s playbook. Even now, it seems, he is keeping an eye on us and making sure things happen when they should do!
Glen’s inclusion in the “Builder” category could not be more perfect and his name sits easily among the legends of the sport in Canada, including recent inductees such as Charles Fipke and Glenn Sikura. Our heartfelt congratulations go to Glen’s family who, like the many of us who were fortunate enough to know him, can now rest easily in the knowledge that his legacy will be a permanent part of Canadian horse racing history.
From the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame:
Born on December 20, 1946 in British Columbia, the late Glen Todd, fell in love with horse racing as a child, attending the races with his father who had met Glen’s mother at Hastings racecourse in 1939. “There is a lot of history of racing in my family,” he said. Todd quickly immersed himself in everything about preparing a racehorse, educating himself from the shedrow up. Todd was an exceptional businessman who took over his father Jack and mother Eileen’s Pacific Group of Companies, founded in 1954. Todd began training horses at Hastings in the early 1970s, doing so until 1985. In 2011, he won the Sovereign Award in a tie with Donver Stables for Canada’s Outstanding Owner. Throughout his life he was an owner of hundreds of racehorses. Behind the racing headlines, Todd worked tirelessly to promote and improve the B.C. racing industry. In 2009, he was part of the B.C. Horse Racing Industry Management Committee which was formed to revitalize the sport and put it on firmer financial ground. He also extended an interest-free $1-million loan to fund purse money and keep races going at east Vancouver’s Hastings Racecourse over the summer of 2021, and at the time he said he was not looking for accolades, just that he wanted to keep jobs in place and horses running. He has been described as an owner, trainer, breeder, builder, innovator, communicator, betting shop owner, employer, mentor, and friend.
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Opening Day Overnights
Hastings Unveils Exciting New Features for 2024!
Hastings Racecourse is thrilled to announce the opening of its 2024 racing season on Saturday, April 27th, at 2:30 pm PDT with a new schedule and some horseplayer-focused changes.
The 2024 season marks the debut of Friday night racing, starting on May 10th at 7 pm PDT. Following the success of some test dates in 2023, the track will now run Friday nights and Saturday afternoons for the majority of the 2024 meet.
Along with the new evening programs, the track has installed new LED lighting to enhance the visuals for fans watching in person and on TVs everywhere.
The track will also be introducing a brand-new graphics package, giving it a fresh new look and improving the display of the critical betting info.
In an effort to add more value for horseplayers, Hastings is introducing a new $2 minimum for the Double on the first two and last two races. This new feature is set to generate higher payoffs for players which is further fueled by the low 15% takeout.
Commenting on the upcoming season, Dawn Lupul, Manager of Racing and Communications at Hastings Racecourse, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, "We are coming off a good meet in 2023, and this year is shaping up to be even better. We are really excited about the introduction of Friday night racing and some of the improvements we have made this year."
Hastings Racecourse has some of the lowest takeouts in the industry at 15% on Win, Place, Show, Double, Pick 3 and Pick 4. In addition, there is a 15% takeout on the classic Hi-5 and Pick 5 pools that have a 100% carryover if there are no winners.
The racing season kicks off on Saturday, April 27th, and continues on Saturdays until Friday nights are added to the schedule on May 10th. For further details and updates, please visit HastingsRacecourse.com or BCRacebook.com.
Holy New Horse!
More great news for Hastings Racing Club Members this week after it was revealed that HOLY EMPEROR, a five-time winner and seven-year-old veteran of 48 races, will join the club’s roster for the 2024 season. The gelded son of STREET SENSE (Street Cry) will join fellow Racing Club athlete FINDING WAYS in the Nancy Betts barn.
Bloodhorse Daily Headlines — Thursday, April 25
