I will start this column off with a quick note about Standardbred Canada business; there was a three-day joint meeting held in June of the By-Law/Governance and Strategic Planning Committees. I believe the majority of the Directors of SC feel that now is the time for SC to try and become more involved as a national leader. A lot of the leg work has been done to fine tune the Strategic Plan. I think you -- the members and the industry in general -- are looking for leadership from somewhere, and the feeling is that SC can be that leader. We must all accept change and I know there is some innovative thinking coming. I will keep you posted!
Congratulations to all the inductees into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. On the standardbred side we have Robert McIntosh, Peter Heffering, Mister Big, Classic Wish, and A Worthy Lad. Mel Lawson, Frank Barroby, Victory Gallop, Lady Angela, and Victorian Era round out the list on the thoroughbred side. I happened to run into Frank Barroby at Hastings Park and he is truly humbled and very appreciative to be chosen.
My wife and I had the opportunity to go to Phoenix for a holiday in May and I must admit I now have a new appreciation for customer service. We stayed at a small resort and the service by all the staff was unbelievable. I realize at the resort we paid top dollar to be pampered, but when a customer is coming to the races they also believe they are paying top dollar. We all deserve to be pampered in this tough world, after all.
Every day when I look at the SC website and see the bet on standardbred racing across Canada is down around 9%, I get a little disheartened. I think once in a while we have to remind ourselves that the thoroughbreds are struggling as well. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) just announced that the total handle for wagering in the U.S. for 2009 was down 9.8% from the previous year -- which translates to a $1.3 billion loss. I am still wondering about organizing a national advertising campaign for horse racing -- could we let the customer determine their breed of choice?!
On behalf of all SC Directors and staff, I would like to send our condolences to the family of Doug Harkness. Doug will always be remembered as an ambassador for Maritime racing and his stories will certainly be passed on for years to come. I would also like to send my condolences to the White family on the passing of Bruce. Rick and Glenn have been mainstays at Fraser Downs for many years and brother Bruce also trained and drove at the Cloverdale track.
Canada's first two-year-old to qualify (and win that qualifier) was the filly, Hi Maintenancechic, on May 28 at Flamboro Downs in 1:58.4. Very impressive!!!
Congratulations this month go to Billy 'Zeke' Parker Jr., who became only the ninth driver ever to join the 10,000 win club. Also, 17-year-old Warren MacKinnon recorded his first training win at Northside Downs.
A big congratulations also goes out to Kelly Spencer at Grand River Raceway for receiving the Golden Pen Award from the Standardbred Media and Marketing Association. This award is given to a member who makes outstanding contributions to harness racing publicity and marketing. Wouldn't Kelly be a great choice to lead a team and brand horse racing across Canada? Congratulations Kelly!
Until next month!