It was a reasonably content group of harness horsemen who met Tuesday, December 16 at Northlands Park to hear details of the 2009 season. The presentation, delivered by ASHA racing manager Fred Gillis and ASHA vice president Norm Kennedy, drew a good crowd and a few questions. But it did not produce the fireworks that have accompanied some of these meetings in the past.

“I think people have realized that as November began we had no 'A' circuit racing scheduled for 2009 in the province,” Gillis told Horse Racing Alberta “I think people are realizing that this is a lot better deal than we were looking at. And they are prepared to make the best of it until the industry can be strengthened.”

Dates for the Grande Prairie portion of the meet have now been finalized. Friday night dates in July and August are being shifted to Wednesday evenings. An eventing show scheduled for September 4-6 will take over the facility and force harness racing to the sidelines for that weekend. But the basic format agreed to by Horse Racing Alberta at its November 27 meeting, remains in place.

“We’ll offer just over $1 million in stakes money at the Grande Prairie meet and about $1.34 million in stakes purses in Edmonton,” Gillis said. "Overnight purses in Edmonton will average about $65,000 per day. The 'A' dates in Grande Prairie will provide about $54,000 in overnight purses while the 16-days of 'B-circuit' racing will carry overnight purses of $34,000 per day.”

(HRA)