Happy Holidays and all the best to all Standardbred Canada members and all horse racing participants!!! It will be Christmas time or getting close when you are reading this column -- I hope you are able to spend some good quality time with family and your beloved horses. Where does the time go??? In the holiday spirit, though, I have made a concerted effort with this column to highlight positive subjects in the racing world. Hohohoho!
There is some decent news from Quebec, but we do still have a long way to go. Internet wagering in the province is doing better than expected and we're hoping for more increases to come; ideally more days will be added to the schedule in 2011 as a result.
I'm writing this column while watching the Breeder's Cup. How can you help but be excited when you watch the fans cheer for Zenyatta as she is led to the paddock for the last time? The thoroughbred industry did a great job promoting this mare and the $94 million that was bet that day certainly counters the notion that horse racing is dead. It's also interesting to hear that the ratings for the last hour of national coverage were up by three times over last year. What do Zenyatta and Somebeachsomewhere have in common? In my opinion, it's that the only race they lost in their careers may have been their best.
Speaking of losing just one race in 2010, there are two very interesting stories happening at different ends of the country. The fillies Meridian Magic and Mystic Maiden combined have 32 starts and 30 victories lifetime under their belts. Inspired by the Zenyatta-Rachel Alexandra buzz of 2010, should we, as an industry, attempt to get these fillies and their followers together for a race? What a thought!
The staff at Standardbred Canada are going to have to order a lot of new name cards for the January Board of Directors meeting! I am looking at the list of nominations and there could be as many as 21 new Directors. Nine Directors were not eligible to come back as stated in the By-Laws (having served their maximum of three three-year terms). Seven chose not to return and seven will be involved in elections. I would like to thank all of the Directors personally for their time and dedication to the Board.
The voting in Ontario could turn out to be the most interesting. If you read the bios of some of the candidates, it's clear they have chosen the Racing Development and Sustainability Plan as their platform. I encourage all members to vote (voting closes December 17th) if there is an election required in your region!!!
Finally, I would like to congratulate Fraser Downs trainer David Bilyk on snagging not only his first career training win, but also his second (on the same card) since my last column.
On behalf of the Standardbred Canada staff and the Board of Directors, I would like to wish all members across Canada a Merry Christmas and all the best in 2011.
Until next month!!!