Woodbine, HBPA Agree To Five-Year Deal

Great news for Ontario Thoroughbred racing was announced on Friday as Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) and the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association of Ontario (HBPA) have signed an agreement ensuring 167 dates of thoroughbred racing at Woodbine every year for the next five years.

As HBPA President Sue Leslie and WEG's Executive Vice-President of Racing say in their quotes in the press release, the deal allows thoroughbred owners in Ontario to breathe easy for the next five years and begin laying out their long-term plans. As a fan and blogger of horse racing in Ontario, this news is also great for me, as it assures me something to watch and write about in my own backyard.

Hidden in this good news, however, is a bit of bad news. As Jennifer Morrison reports in her Thoroughblog, purses have appeared to have been cut for the upcoming meet. While the amount is small, 2%, it still could be substantial enough to cause some smaller scale operations a bit of trouble. Keep reading Thoroughblog this week for more on this because it appears Woodbine will be announcing that stakes purses have been reduced on Tuesday.

Here are the quotes I mentioned above from the press release on the five-year agreement:

"In an environment of short term contracts and reduced race days, the HBPA is pleased to get this agreement signed with Woodbine," said HBPA President, Sue Leslie. "It gives the horsepeople the security of knowing there will be 167 dates of racing at Woodbine for the next five years, and sets in place the framework to allow the industry to grow and prosper. It also allows Owners and Breeders to develop a longer term plan with some confidence, knowing they can rely on racing opportunities."

The current agreement was due to expire on March 31, 2011.

"We're delighted to enter into this long term agreement with the HBPA," said Jamie Martin, WEG's Executive Vice-President of Racing. "The agreement gives us stability on race dates and horsemen's relations for the next five years, and allows us to focus on building on the successes we've realized with our on-track thoroughbred product."

Posted in: Woodbine