Up. Up. Up.
It’s everywhere you look as the 2023 thoroughbred racing season opens Saturday May 6 at Century Mile. Purses are up. Last year’s handle was up and management is looking at another increase this year. The horse population is up. Slot machine revenues are up. No wonder there is so much expectation and hope.
“I’m very optimistic,” said Kent Verlik, CEO of Horse Racing Alberta. “People are excited. We had 13 straight years of declining handles between thoroughbred and harness racing and then last year we were up.”
Significantly. In 2021 the total Alberta racing handle was $111 million. Last year it was $124.6 million. “We stopped the slide and we’re now going the other way,” said Verlik. “That’s a very good thing and I’m expecting another increase this year.”
Verlik said purse allocation this year is budgeted at $13.5 million but that could go up even more. “Purses are up $1 million more than last year and we’re already looking to top that up because of expected handle increase and an increase in slot revenue. We have excess revenue over expenses so we’re expecting to put even more money into purses. The plan is to hit $16 million in purse allocation by 2026.”
Verlik said export and import handles are also on the rise. “The export handle continues to grow. People are betting on us from throughout the U.S. and Canada. From $10 million in 2019 we went to almost $33 million in export handle last year. That 300 per cent increase from outside our jurisdiction shows the true value of our racing product,” said Verlik adding that $92 million was wagered in import handle.
Century Mile general manager Ken Maheden said he feels a difference in the air this year. “Good vibes,” said Maheden, who has been with Century Casinos since 2006. “There’s a good sensation out there. I was saying that to my team a couple of weeks ago. I’m really looking forward to the coming season; we’re excited. I’m very confident we’ll see some good crowds this year. My gut feeling is telling me that. Suite bookings are up and we haven’t raced a day of thoroughbred racing yet. There’s a lot of interest in horse racing right now. We’re all excited.”
A lot of horsemen feel the same way. “Overnights are up 10 per cent from last year; the stakes schedule is the same,” said Dan Hurley, president of the Alberta Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. “Last year bottom claimers raced for a purse of $9,000; this year it’s $10,000. The track is in good shape especially considering the weather we’ve had lately. Everybody seems more active in the marketing aspect. There’s more promotion and there appears to be more enthusiasm,” added Hurley, who has six thoroughbreds with trainer Dee Walper - four of his own and two others in partnership.
One of the most important increases is in the horse population. After years of decline that resulted in short fields, which bettors hardly touch, there are now stall applications for 650 horses. Last year there were 600.
A big reason for the influx is the Breed Improvement Program (BIP) and Racehorse Procurement Incentive program (RPIP). The latter is most interesting and almost single handedly responsible for this year’s increase in horse supply.
In a release from Horse Racing Alberta the RPIP program will see “The HBPA of Alberta pay 50% or up to $7,500, whichever amount is less, on claims or purchases from a public sale made outside of Alberta. The owner must leave the horse’s papers in the Century Casinos Alberta race offices until the end of the 2023 Century Casino Alberta Racing Season and race the horse exclusively at Century Casino Alberta Racetracks until the end of the 2023 season.”
Furthermore, the HRA release stated “The HBPA also offers a 2023 Shipping Incentive Program. A $1,500 bonus will be paid to any horse brought to Century Tracks for the 2023 racing season. The horse must not have started in Alberta prior to the 2023 racing season. The $1,500 will be paid out as $500 per start for the first three starts made at Century Tracks, and the horse must remain at Century Tracks for the 2023 season. Horses are allowed to ship to make one start in a Stake Race with a purse at or above $40,000 with permission in writing from the HBPA Manager.”
Because of those programs owners and trainers like Al Pitchko, Craig Smith and Tom Rycroft have brought new thoroughbreds to Alberta. “Al (Pitchko) is bringing 10 head from California; Craig (Smith) went to Tampa Bay with eight horses and he is coming back with 17 head,” said trainer Rod Cone. “Tom (Rycroft) is bringing about seven head from Phoenix. Gamblers aren’t stupid. They won’t bet on short fields. This is really going to help.”
“Racing with five- and six-horse fields is not good,” said Verlik. “The sweet spot is eight-to-11 horses in a race. That gives the bettors more opportunities especially when it comes to exotic pools.”
“The horses that are coming to Alberta look to be quality horses,” added Hurley. “Most of them were claimed for between $10- and $20,000. That translates into decent horses here.”
The total money available for the thoroughbreds through the RPIP initiative is $200,000 this year. That figure has already been reached and there are horses on the waiting list. “RPIP has been very successful,” said Verlik.
One new horse that was not part of the program but which is being aimed towards big things in Alberta is three-year-old American Blaze. Owned by Albertans Terry Hamilton and Murray House, American Blaze broke his maiden in Kentucky by 16 lengths and recently won Phoenix’s Turf Paradise Derby. “He’s a nice colt. The plan is to keep him here for the August 26 $200,000 Canadian Derby,” said Tom’s son Riley.
The Derby is part of a new program itself. Verlik said there is a now a Western Canadian Derby Series: a Western Triple Crown. “If a horse wins the Canadian Derby, the Manitoba Derby and the B.C. Derby they get a $100,000 bonus,” said Verlik.
“I’m sure Robertino Diodoro will have one or two horses for those races and a few others will probably do the same,” Cone said of Diodoro, one of North America’s leading trainers who got his start in Alberta.
Opening on Saturday the thoroughbred meet runs to Sept. 1 when the thoroughbreds go to Calgary for a fall meet. Post time is 3:45 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and 6:15 p.m. on Fridays.
Other than opening weekend when they only race on Saturday, the thoroughbreds will run on a Friday/Saturday schedule in May and June and then include Sundays in July. In August they go back to Fridays and Saturdays.
In total there are 196 race days in Alberta for thoroughbred and standardbreds this year. The first stakes races are May 19 and 20. The May 19 Friday card features $50,000 Alberta Sire Stakes Debutante for three-year-old fillies; Saturday May 20 is the Alberta Sire Stakes Derby for three-year-old colts. Both are for Alberta-breds.
“It’s another incentive to buy an Alberta-bred or an Alberta-sired horse,” said Cone. “And there are also eight $35,000 maiden allowance races for Alberta-breds. They are both part of the breed improvement program.”
“We’re getting back to numbers we haven’t seen in quite a while,” said Verlik. “We’ve got a 10-year agreement. We have long-term sustainability. It all looks promising.”
Up, up and away.