All-sources live mutuel handle, daily averages up for 2015 meet

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The total all-sources live mutuel handle and daily average for the 2015 meet at Hastings Racecourse were both up by 14.7 percent compared to 2014.

The total for the 53 day meet was $29,760,483, compared to $25,935,397 in 2014, while the daily average of $561,519 compared favorably last year’s daily average of $489,347.

The live ontrack total handle was down slightly from $6,856,388 in 2014 to $6,707,777 this year.

“Overall, there are a lot of positives to take from the 2015 season,” said Hastings general manager Darren MacDonald. “The almost 15 percent growth in the all-sources handle is very encouraging, and for the first time in many years, we saw the horse population stabilize. We hold lots of optimism heading to 2016, and with the extensive incentive packages being offered by the horsemen’s associations, we expect to see our horse population continue to improve.”

The average number of starters per race increased from 6.78 in 2014 to 6.92 this year.

Jockey Richard Hamel was the leading rider with 74 wins. His mounts earned more than $1.1 million.

Mike Anderson won his first trainer’s title with 34 wins and $430,106 in earnings. His sister, Barbara Heads, finished second with 27 wins, though she had slightly more in earnings with $440,471.

Either the 3-year-old filly Academic, who won the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby, or Square Dancer, the top older handicap horse at the meet, will be named Horse of the Year at the annual awards dinner, which will take place Dec. 3 at the Newlands Golf and Country Club.

As part of the ceremonies, announcer Dan Jukich, breeder Dixie Jacobson, and the only British Columbia-bred to win the Queen’s Plate, Strait of Dover, will be inducted into the British Columbia Horse Racing Hall of Fame.