Woodbine Entertainment Group is pleased to announce that betting on Woodbine's 2009 live thoroughbred meet, which concluded December 6, was up
seven per cent over last year.
The 'all-sources' total of $361,435,208 was wagered during the 167-day meet, which began April 4, compared to the $337,660,570 recorded from the 167 dates offered in 2008, an impressive seven per cent overall rise.
"We are especially proud of the healthy wagering increase on our 2009 thoroughbred meet, as the industry is seeing a drop in betting overall," said Sean Pinsonneault, Woodbine Entertainment's vice president of wagering services. "Our fundamentals are strong. We have an excellent purse structure, big field size, attractive betting offerings and quality horses and horsepeople recognized throughout the world."
Most of the $23 million-plus increase in betting came from U.S. sources. The Woodbine signal was prominent in the U.S. in 2009 as TVG, the national racing channel, offered Woodbine racing for the first time.
"We wanted to raise our profile in the United States through various strategies and it paid off for us with significant increased betting on our product," Pinsonneault said. "Fans, on both sides of the border, respect the high quality racing we offer."
Average field size at Woodbine was 9.1 horses per race this year, an increase over the 9.0 figure recorded in 2008. The 2009 total includes a field size of 10.0 horses per race over the final five weeks of the meet.
Overnight and stakes purses, including supplements and nominations fees, paid out in 2009 totalled $90.1 million, delivering an impressive $539,634 per card.
The 2010 Woodbine thoroughbred season is scheduled for 167 dates, beginning Good Friday, April 2.
Standardbred racing continues at Woodbine through the winter, including a special Boxing Day card that features a 1:20 p.m. first-race post time.
(WEG)
I found it funny to see a
I found it funny to see a comment below on why Standardbred racing is a better game. I am an avid race fan and have basically left the Standardbred racing for the exact facts that the writer describes as positives:
1.racing far more often; making form much easier to judge
2.distance is almost always the same, making things much more consistent
3.surface is always the same
4.much tougher than the delicate hot bloods and don't break down so often in races
For the first 3 points, that is the reason that the bettor enjoys the flats over the trots and why the betters get rewarded with higher prices, look over any standardbred track and you see the same thing night after night, $5.00 winners.
p.s. Also, how is it good for Standardbred Racing when you see a fan favorite like Admirals Express losing by 25 in 2:00 for a $7000 purse?
In reply to I found it funny to see a by Shark55
As a bettor, I would prefer
As a bettor, I would prefer a $5.00 winner that I can depend on, over trying to find a winner amidst a myriad of longshots who finish first, then last, and all over the place. Although the average winner in the flats pays slightly more generously, there are plenty of longshot winners in harness racing. (The tote board does not know what breed you are betting on.)
p.s. Admirals Express is a great champion with a heart the size of a racetrack, and his legs are like iron.Is it good for thoroughbred racing to watch Barbaro fall apart, or for Go For Wand hobble down the stretch with a snapped leg dangling beneath her?
Mike, I'll take a stab at
Mike, I'll take a stab at it. Woodbine buys signals from other tracks. They may pay 6% for Meadowlands signal, for example. What that means is that lets say you bet $2 at Meadowlands on a bet that has a 25% takeout. Woodbine owes 12 cents for the bet to Meadowlands and keeps 38 cents on the bet in this particular example...they then split the proceeds with horsemen and the government also gets a cut too I believe.
How much was the on track
How much was the on track handle up?
Most of the increase came
Most of the increase came from U S Sources? Why don't they say how much on track handle increased or decreased? I notice Woodbine results never give their on track handle for t-breds as all other tracks do.
Also, the harness tracks in Canada never give the on track handle and most
U S harness tracks give no handle figures at all.
For many years now
For many years now thoroughbred racing has enjoyed a better image than standardbred racing as far as the bettors are concerned because harness racing requires more strategy. The reasoning (and rightly so)is that standardbreds are usually much handier than their hot-blooded cousins, and it makes for much more control going to the drivers.
Getting boxed in, parked out, making breaks are what have turned the jughead punters over to the grasshoppers.Plus, less favourites win and the average payouts are higher on the flats. In my opinion, the harness racing faction has not done a very good job of educating the public of the advantages they enjoy over the thoroughbreds. What are those advantages you ask? Seems pretty obvious to me.Standardbreds are:
1.racing far more often; making form much easier to judge
2.distance is almost always the same, making things much more consistent
3.surface is always the same
4.much tougher than the delicate hot bloods and don't break down so often in races
Because of these things, form is held for more races in the standardbred and makes wagering them much more reliable. Why can't we market this stuff and try to get the hordes that have turned to the thoroughbreds back?
Can someone explain how the
Can someone explain how the takeout works for simulcasting.
In other words if I am sitting in a teletheatre in Toronto and want to bet on the Meadowlands, does the takeout go to the host track or to WEG.