Horsemen air grievances with track operator

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Frustration by horsemen on how Great Canadian Gaming Corp. has been operating Hastings reached a boiling point when the tote system went down a couple of weeks ago. Patrons were understandably upset when they couldn’t wager unless they had a smartphone or some device that could tie into internet wagering. Horsemen also are frustrated that the tote board hasn’t been functioning since the beginning of the live season.

Last week the presidents of the three horsemen’s groups expressed their concerns in a letter they sent to Glen Todd, the Thoroughbred representative on the British Columbia Horse Racing Industry Management Committee, a government-appointed board that manages horse racing in the province. In the letter – signed by Ole Nielsen (Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association), Dave Milburn (Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association), and Grant Watson (Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society) horsemen complained that while the Great Canadian stock price recently soared by 25 percent, Hastings was being neglected.

One of the main concerns stated in the letter was the state of the backstretch, and it also said all aspects of the industry have suffered under Great Canadian’s stewardship. The letter went as far as asking the Horse Racing Management Committee to find another operator for Hastings.

Despite the strong verbiage Todd said he didn’t think the relationship between the horsemen and Great Canadian has soured. He’s had subsequent meetings with the representatives of the horsemen’s groups.

“The letter brought things to a head, and I had a positive response from Great Canadian and the horsemen,” Todd said. “Great Canadian hasn’t committed to do everything that needs to be done, but they are looking at some upgrades and they said the tote board will be up and running ASAP.”

One of the things that came out of follow-up meetings was an agreement to establish a health and safety committee relating to the backstretch.

Raj Mutti, vice president operations west for Great Canadian, is hoping the groups can work together to make things better in the future.

“We’ve had a good relationship with the horsemen for a long time, and I am hoping for that to continue despite some of the rhetoric conveyed in their letter,” Mutti said. “We do take exception to the repeated claim that Great Canadian is not committed to the industry, though. We recently signed a new 20-year operational services agreement for Hastings with the British Columbia Lottery Service, and we are working on getting a new lease with the City of Vancouver. Now that we have a 20-year agreement we can look forward to further investments on site. We were as disappointed and as shocked as everyone when the tote system went down. It had to do with our cable provider. We have rectified the problem, and it shouldn’t happen again.”

Look out for Lookout Taylor

Lookout Taylor could pick up the pieces in a first-level allowance race for 3-year-old fillies that headlines Sunday’s seven-race card. The 6 1/2-furlong dash drew six horses and goes as the second race.

Trained by Mike Anderson, Lookout Taylor rallied to finish second in a similar race May 19, and with plenty of potential speed in the field Sunday she should get a similar trip with David Lopez retaining the mount.

Under Par forced the issue before finishing third in the same race May 19 and could take a big step forward in her second start this year. Trained by Mark Cloutier, the daughter of Stephanotis won her debut and finished second in the $50,000 B.C. Cup Debutante in two starts last year.

◗ Blue Law, winner of the first two stakes for older horses at the meet, is out for the year.

“He came back with a cannon bone fracture after his work last week, and it will take at last six months to heal,” said his trainer, Cindy Krasner. “I think he may have stepped on a rock when he was working.”