Hastings gets funding to extend meet until Sept. 28
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – It has been tough sledding the past couple of years at Hastings, which is operated by Great Canadian Gaming Corp.
A large portion of the purse money in British Columbia comes from slots at Hastings and Elements Casino, the Standardbred track also operated by Great Canadian. When COVID-19 hit, both casinos were shut down, and it wasn’t until recently that they reopened.
Due to the lack of purse money, Hastings had a 25-day meet last year, and not that long ago it appeared the current meet would end Aug. 2. However, some relief was found when owner-trainer Glen Todd offered a $1 million loan to keep the meet going through August. There was a collective sigh of relief when last week the provincial government gave a $3 million grant to be split equally by Harness Racing B.C. and the local Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.
As a result of the grant, the meet has been extended until Sept. 28 and purses will go up $2,000 across the board.
“We were facing an uncertain future,” HBPA president Dave Milburn said. “Now we can look forward to extending our season another month and start turning our attention to working on a full season in 2022.”
Due to the extension, there will be a change in racing days, mostly to accommodate the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society’s annual yearling and mixed sale scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 14, at the Thunderbird Show Park in Langley. There also is a yearling parade on Sept. 13.
Hastings has been racing on Mondays and Tuesdays. The week of the sale, there will be racing on Wednesday and Thursday instead.
Labor Day, Sept. 6, has been dropped from the schedule, with Wednesday, Sept. 8, taking its place. The change is due to the annual fair held on the Hastings site now going ahead. The Hastings infield is used for parking on non-race days during the fair.
The grant also should help increase the prices at the CTHS sale. Due to how tough the past couple of years have been, many breeders see this is a make-or-break sale for them.
“The grant is a big boost for the sale,” said Bette-Jean Davidson, regional general manager of the CTHS. “It allows us to give a $1,500 rebate to any horse sold in the sale that will remain in B.C. to race at Hastings. A month ago, I was very concerned. Since the announcement, we have had a lot more people asking for credit. They are also commenting on how strong the catalog is.”
British Columbia-breds sold at the sale will be running for more money at Hastings the next couple years. The 25 percent British Columbia-bred bonus has been increased to 35 percent. British Columbia-breds sold at the sale will receive a 50 percent bonus for the next two years.
Entries for Monday and Tuesday came up pretty light, and with a horse shortage, mostly due to the possible early ending of the meet, that will likely be the case for the rest of the season.
Because of the short fields, the odds are good that the $280,530 carryover in the Jackpot Pick 5 will continue to grow.