WEG To Host 2011 Breeders Crown

Hambletonian Society CEO Tom Charters and Woodbine Entertainment Group senior vice-president of racing Jamie Martin have each commented on the announcement that Woodbine Racetrack will play host to 'the full card' of the

Breeders Crown in 2011.

A release today from the Hambletonian Society states that the suburban Toronto oval will play host to the full card of the Breeders Crown in 2011 and could become part of a regular rotation of tracks.

Speaking after Tuesday’s Breeders Crown draw, Charters talked about how the series will change going forward and how WEG will play a major role.

Next year, all 12 races will be contested on one evening at the same track, an idea the Hambletonian Society developed and put forward to racetrack operators seeking to commit to it. Pennsylvania horsemen racing at Pocono Downs, which has never played host to the Breeders Crown, and WEG both expressed an interest. WEG has been host to 103 races combining Woodbine and Mohawk in the series’ 25-year history.

“I would love to have a rotation of about three or four tracks, however, I’d love to come (to Woodbine) maybe every other year or every third year because of the long history we’ve had with what was originally the Ontario Jockey Club and now Woodbine,” Charters said. “We think it provides the best facility for getting a big crowd because of its proximity to Toronto. It’s a great track.”

In a conversation last year with WEG officials at the Breeders Crown for older horses at Mohawk Racetrack, Charters broached the idea of Woodbine taking the entire card and received a reply.

“I carried that back with me and thought if I could get one or two other venues, I could work on a rotation,” Charters said. “That’s what we’re looking forward to.

“I just kind of threw it out on the table and they didn’t flinch,” he added.

Martin said the opportunity to host the entire card in two years and become part of a regular rotation is an exciting opportunity.

“Through the industry media, there’s been a lot of talk about putting all 12 races together,” Martin said. “It’s a lot of investment for the tracks to do, but we were always open to it.”

Charters said it makes more sense to have the entire card at one track when possible, but qualified that thought.

“Although we’re looking to do it all one night, we reserve the right to work with the track to see what works best,” Charters said. “We’re going to see what happens at Pocono next year. I’ve been doing this for 25 years. I was hired in ’84 by the Society and we’re not afraid to change if we think we can improve it, both logistically and practically; what we think will make the biggest impact.”

(With files from the Hambletonian Society)