Retired trainer Vella to work for Woodbine
?q=100)
Woodbine Entertainment has announced the addition of Sovereign Award-winning trainer Dan Vella as a horsepeople liaison.
Vella joins Woodbine after retiring from a training career that spanned several decades, during which he compiled over 800 wins and $39 million in earnings.
“Dan is a highly regarded figure on our backstretch that has his finger on the pulse of our racing community,” said Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson. “Having the ability to add someone like Dan, who has spent over 50 years on our backstretch and enjoyed success at our highest levels, is a big boost for our stakeholder relationships.”
Vella, 67, will be a point of contact for owners and trainers as it relates to opportunities and feedback regarding race conditions, track surface matters, backstretch maintenance, equine safety, and raceday logistics. He will report to director of racing Tim Lawson.
“I am so excited to have this opportunity to work for Woodbine and continue to be involved in the industry and sport that has given me so much,” Vella said. “I have had the privilege of racing throughout North America and I can say firsthand that Woodbine is a top racetrack operator that has incredibly passionate and talented horse people – all of which contributes to some of the best Thoroughbred racing on the continent.”
Vella was voted the Sovereign Award as Canada’s outstanding trainer in 1994 and 1995. He won the Queen’s Plate twice, with Basqueian in 1994 and Strait of Dover in 2012.
Last year, Vella sent out The Minkster to win the Queenston Stakes and captured the Princess Elizabeth Stakes with Jumpin Junie. Both of those runners have been transferred to trainer Katerina Vassilieva.
Vella will begin his new role on April 1.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.