Working closely with the Implementation and Monitoring (IM) Group, Kawartha Downs will now be offering an increased purse structure on Saturdays as part of an initiative to provide more opportunities for developing horses and to create more competitive races
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An initial application was made to the Implementation and Monitoring (IM) by Race Secretary Jim Huck on behalf of Kawartha Downs Limited, requesting an increase to the maximum purse for its Saturday night Grassroots cards to $65,000 per card. In his submission, Huck claimed that the maximum purse level of $50,000 for the Saturday Grassroots card has restricted Kawartha Downs’ ability to write competitive races and offer races for younger type horses.
On January 5, Huck attended an IM Group working meeting and a solution was reached that will hopefully meet the goals of the track, meet the needs of the horsepeople and provide a more interesting product for the customer.
As an alternative to a straight increase to the maximum purse, the IM Group worked with Huck to develop a set of conditions aimed at young and/or developing horses, where the maximum purse could be exceeded if these races were carded.
This initiative was approved as a trial for Kawartha Downs, with the view to expanding the concept to other racetracks when the Grassroots season opens. Kawartha will now be able to use more purse funds, increasing the maximum daily purse available for Grassroots when classes are written for younger and/or developing horses, such as maidens or non-winners of two races lifetime. The Ontario Racing Program (ORP) always envisioned that Grassroots cards would offer an excellent opportunity for young and developing horses to learn their craft, while enhancing the customer experience and participation, justifying the increase in available purse for certain days. Additionally, the ORP recognizes the high costs associated with developing young horses and the need for there to be sufficient racing opportunities to encourage owners to invest in new stock.
Part of the work of the IM Group is in the coordination and synchronization of the offerings of different tracks and the available horse supply. By closely monitoring the condition sheets and the resulting overnight sheets, tracking entries, monitoring the classes at neighbouring racetracks, and speaking continually to race secretaries, management and horsepeople, the IM Group works hard to stay on top of what is happening in racing in Ontario, making recommendations or changes where required.
The intent of establishing daily purse levels is to create greater consistency across racetracks with similar operations and encouraging horses to be raced where they will have the greatest impact for the Ontario Racing Program. For the most part, the established levels mirror what most tracks are currently able to offer based on available purse. The levels, however, provide a framework for future decision making.
The Ontario Racing Program marks a significant moment for racing. It represents a commitment to live horse racing in Ontario within a framework that has a clear goal: to stabilize the industry and create more Ontario opportunities in racing. The focus of the program goes beyond the needs of ‘just one local racetrack’ or ‘just one local horseperson.’
The mandate of the IM Group is to implement and monitor the elements of the Ontario Racing Program and to ensure the program is flexible enough to change, where the need for change is demonstrated and determined to be warranted.
(ORC)