One year ago, I was summoned to Canada's second largest city for a meeting to be held at the Hippodrome de Montreal. I took the last flight out of Pearson to Pierre Trudeau International and checked into a hotel across the street from the racetrack on Decarie Blvd.
Morning came and I walked over, past a few horses training through the chilly morning wind. The track was the same as it had been on each of my last 10-plus trips over the past half-dozen years — worn and beaten up, but still inspiring. The venerable facility had seen better days, but, as I was assured, brighter times were ahead.
Into a boardroom I walked, where a dozen track executives with sharpened pencils sat waiting. The meeting, a hastily scheduled one, was called to plan an event the track was organizing in cooperation with the Standardbred Wagering Conference to be held months later.
The energy in the room was very high as department heads launched into their ideas for the event. A special racing card was to be organized to welcome delegates from around the world, a fabulous dining event, an elaborate handicapping contest and extreme racing were all part of the plans. Executives sought to use the night to showcase the track to international representatives and simulcasters across North America and beyond. It was one of the most positive meetings I've been a part of in recent years.
In fact, most everything Attractions Hippiques did during their first year of operation was first class — marketing visionaries, elaborate press conferences, spectacular entertainment and marvelous grand openings. Every promotion was run with a professional finish not often seen in horse racing circles. Money was spent liberally.
And then it all crashed.
Weeks later, we were informed that Attactions Hippiques could no longer afford to sponsor the event or help to organize it, although they did agree to hold the racing card.
Soon the news worsened significantly as the company sought court protection from its creditors. Major staffing cuts came and a battle began between the track, the government and the people who race and breed horses in the province. The situation deteriorated in a hurry.
Today, Senator Paul Massicotte is a far cry from the white knight of racing. The bailout plan, arranged by court-appointed trustee, RSM Richter, includes a call for the end of horse racing in Montreal. The provincial government is listening to the plan and up until now, offering a favourable response, with both the government and Attractions Hippiques calling the idea the only way to save horse racing in the province.
Reasons aside, the proposal to close the Hippodrome de Montreal and replace it with VLTs and a teletheatre is shameful. This is Montreal, a city with a storied history in the sport and a clear potential to become a leader in North America. Throwing the Montreal racetrack under the bus is an absolutely devastating turn of events for the future of harness racing in Canada. It also compounds matters for anti-gambling groups who see the VLT proposal as a mini-casino targeted at the city's low income residents.
This is not an issue that should be owned solely by the Quebec horsepeople or breeders. This is a national dilemma for anyone who cares about the sport. A loss in Montreal is a major defeat for all of us and would mark one of the most significant hits horse racing has taken in the last 100 years.
I am not a fan of the privatization of racetracks as the profit motive and the good of horse racing are tough bedfellows, especially considering current revenue figures. But in the early days, I had faith in Attractions Hippiques and their vision for the future. Today, I am bewildered and unimpressed.
If an organization has a genuine ambition to rebuild the business in Quebec, it wouldn't give up on a Montreal presence. Relenting on racing in the second largest city in the country is only a few steps shy of throwing in the towel on harness racing. And for that, we should all be angry.