Purses, horse population up as Century Mile meet begins

Management at Century Mile is optimistic about the 2022 season that begins Saturday with a nine-race card. The 54-day meet runs through Nov. 5.

The schedule calls for racing on Fridays and Saturdays. Post time opening day, and on most Saturdays, is 3:45 p.m. Mountain. Friday cards, which begin May 13, will have a 6:15 p.m. first post.

“Last year the daily average purses were $85,000 and we are projecting $110,00 a day this year,” said Paul Ryneveld, managing director of racing for Century Mile and Century Downs racetracks and casinos. “Most of the purse money comes from the casinos and the revenue from our casinos are back to 2019 levels and trending higher.

“The horse population is up, too. At last count we had 830 stall applications. Last year it was around 600.”

With racing just two days a week, there should be plenty of horses for Century Mile’s new racing manager, Allen Goodsell, to fill races.

Ryneveld is looking forward to seeing horses run over the recently renovated surface.

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“It was too hard and too fast,” he said. “We repaired the base, which had become too compacted over the last three years. We also added sand and loam to the mixture. It should be a lot kinder to horses.”

Trainer Robertino Diodoro is returning to Alberta, where he was one of the leading trainers prior to making a name for himself in the United States. Last year, Diodoro ranked seventh in wins in North America.

“I’m excited to be coming back,” said Diodoro. “The purses have gone up and I can kill two birds with one stone.

“My father is 95 now so I can check up on him. My son lives in Grande Prairie, so I will also see see more of him.”

The veteran trainer said he had nine or 10 horses ready for the start of the meet and would eventually have 25 horses stabled at Century.

Diodoro will undoubtedly have a horse for the Grade 3, $200,000 Canadian Derby, which is the highlight of the meet on Aug. 20. In a new twist, the winner of the 1 1/4-mile Canadian Derby will earn a free berth into the Grade 3, $150,000 Ontario Derby at Woodbine on Oct. 23. The Ontario Derby is a 1 1/8-mile race over Tapeta.

“If a horse wins both races they get a $50,000 bonus,” said Ryneveld. “We are confident this will entice some Ontario horses to come out for the Canadian Derby. We are also trying to get sponsors to boost the Canadian Derby purse to $250,000.”

The Derby will be supported by three $100,000 races: the Northlands Park Distaff, Century Casino Oaks, and Century Mile Handicap.

Other highlights of the meet are Fall Classic Day on Sept. 10. The Alberta Breeders Handicap headlines seven stakes restricted to horses bred in Alberta.

The $100,000 Speed to Spare Championship, for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/4 miles, headlines four stakes on Oct. 29. The $50,000 Lynn Chouinard Distaff, $50,000 Freedom of the City for 2-year-old fillies, and $50,000 Birdcatcher for 2-year-olds will also be part of the card.