Century Downs officials anticipate growth in second meet

The second Century Downs Thoroughbred meet begins Sunday and runs through Oct. 28. There are 21 days scheduled, compared with 16 last year (one card was not completed because of severe weather).

For the first three weeks of the meet, racing will be held on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. Mondays will then be dropped for the rest of the meet, excluding Canadian Thanksgiving on Oct. 8. Post time is 1:15 p.m. Mountain.

Century Downs officials are expecting the mutuel handle to be substantially higher than the $156,955 average in 2017. Last year was the first Thoroughbred meet in the Calgary, Alberta, area since Stampede Park’s last day on June 15, 2015.

“We are hoping to build off our successful opening meet last year,” said the track’s general manager Paul Ryneveld. “With our recently concluded Standardbred meet, we have had double-digit growth each year, and are expecting our average on Thoroughbred racing to go up as well. Of course, this is contingent on the product on the racetrack, improving field size, and the weather.”

Last year Century Downs averaged 6.63 starters per race.

There are 15 stakes worth a total of $850,000 on the calendar. The richest race is the $100,000 Harvest Plate on Oct. 8. This will be the first year the Alberta Breeders’ Fall Classic will be held at Century Downs. Heading the seven $50,000 stakes restricted to Alberta-breds on Sept. 16 is the Alberta Breeders’ Classic for 3-year-olds and up.

Other highlights include the $75,000 Freedom of the City for 2-year-old fillies on Oct. 27, and the closing-day feature, the $75,000 Canadian Juvenile for 2-year-olds.

Trainer Tim Rycroft, who dominated the trainer standings at Northlands Park this year, is loaded for bear.

He has at least one horse entered in five of the eight races carded opening day, including Madison Moon, who looks like the one to beat in an open allowance race for fillies and mares that will serve as the feature.

Rycroft also has Jakobs Rocket Girl entered in the 6 1/2-furlong dash, which drew six horses.

The main threats to the Rycroft pair are Ruffenuff and C U At Eau Claire, who are trained by last year’s leading trainer, Greg Tracy.

Rico Walcott, the dominant rider in Alberta the past few years, is back to defend his title.

◗ At the recently concluded Northlands Park meet the average daily mutuel handle of $249,730 was down slightly, 1.7 percent, from the $254,013 average in 2017.

It was the final Thoroughbred meet at Northlands, which opened in 1900. Century Mile, the only mile racetrack in Western Canada, will replace Northlands next year. The new track is on schedule to open in late April.