Following the announcement this week of a new two-year racing agreement between the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) and Woodbine Racetrack, HBPA Ontario president Sue Leslie said unity is the best way the Ontario thoroughbred racing industry can address the significant challenges the sport faces.
"We've got outside forces that are having a dramatic effect on horse racing, not the least of which is equine welfare," said Leslie (right / Dave Landry photo). "It's far better that we all join hands and try to figure out how to address the competition, the equine welfare issues, the rules and regulations of racing... The challenges outside of us are significant, and the way we're going to battle through them is by... figuring it out together, looking at options together that are as fair as we can be to everybody."
The new racing deal, announced Wednesday, is an agreement in principle on a two-year contract that increases thoroughbred purses by $5.7 million. If signed as is, the deal will mean total purses of $64.7 million in 2025 and $65 million in 2026. The racetrack and its horsepeople also agreed to a 128-day race meet, one day fewer than 2024. The season will run from April 26 through Dec. 14.
In a press release, Woodbine CEO Michael Copeland said: "We are very pleased to have reached this agreement with the HBPA that increases purses for our racing community, even as the industry continues to face significant challenges and headwinds. We understand and appreciate that many horsepeople are facing tough economic circumstances during these uncertain times. At the same time, we remain focused on meaningful strategic initiatives aimed at driving long-term growth and sustainability. Our sole mandate is to support a vibrant horse racing industry in Ontario, and we will continue working hard toward a stronger future for our sport and its participants."
Leslie told Ontario Racing the best part of the deal for the HBPA was, "being able to hold it to 128 days. The length of our season was really important to our members and to their staff. Unlike the standardbreds, we're closed up for a significant amount of time [during the winter], and so the length of the season is very important. I think the fact that we were able to convince Woodbine to hold it to losing one day is positive."
She also said the first purse increase in many years is welcome and positive.
"But, I'm going to be frank, we're disappointed in the amount," she said. "We were hoping for more only because our members have suffered such extraordinary inflation, and we haven't had an increase in quite a while. But, that's a negotiation, and at the end of the day, it's significant enough that it'll make a difference, and it gives some stability to the industry, both at Woodbine and on our side."
WOODBINE RAISED PURSES TO HELP EASE INFLATION
Bill Ford, the executive vice president of racing for the Woodbine Entertainment Group, told Ontario Racing the purse increase was an attempt to help the horse community with high inflation.
"It is mostly recognition that it's tough on the backstretch right now," Ford said. "The costs have been going up tremendously, and for us not to recognize that wouldn't be fair to [the HBPA]. I think some of the members of their negotiating committee were very good at getting it across that times were tough for a lot of people, and we heard that."
Ford said Woodbine would like to be able to raise purses more, but needs to be prudent given financial challenges.
"Of course, we want to be as fair as possible to the horsepeople," Ford said. "We're only going to be successful when we can all have the purses that we want, but at the same time, there are some real financial constraints that we have on us, and so we need to be prudent.
"The casino has not been throwing off the revenues that we had all hoped for and anticipated. We remain hopeful that, moving forward, that it will take off and that will be wonderful. At the same time, the wagering numbers are under a lot of pressure, and mostly because of the online gaming options that are available [in Ontario that are] really hurting our wagering, especially in the home market area. These constraints are just not making it easy to find additional money for purses.
"I think Ontario Racing has been really pushing the concept that we need alternative revenue streams to come into the system, and we're having good discussions with government and OLG [Ontario Lottery and Gaming], and remain hopeful that we can get there in the future. But, right now, there are some constraints."
Leslie said the nice thing now that a deal has been reached is it allow HBPA members to plan for the season.
"We can get a condition book out," she said. "We can get our stakes book out. Owners and trainers can plan their horses, how many they want, where they want to locate them, when they want to ship in, who's going to train them, what help is needed on the backside, all those things. Everybody was kind of on hold and on pause until they knew what was going on. So, I think the stability [the deal] brings, is good. The two years is appropriate at this time, because there's so much change going on within the industry, including this new tariff issue. So, to go any longer, it didn't make sense to Woodbine, nor to us, and the same with going any shorter. A one-year agreement, you blink and the year is over.
"I think the message is that progress was made. It maybe was not as significant as some would have hoped, but progress was made -- both in terms of days, in terms of purses, in terms of the length of the contract, in terms of relations between Woodbine and the HBPA."
As for the greater realities of the horse racing industry, Leslie acknowledged the sport is facing, "a tough economy" in Ontario. That is one reason the negotiations were protracted and, at times, difficult.
"Woodbine has had some things that haven't gone in their favour, just in terms of world economics, wagering, the politics of the sports betting and iGaming and all that stuff," Leslie said. "So, I think when you put everything in the pot, they're in a tough position, we're in a tough position, and both sides argued their points of view very vigorously... [But] it was all always respectful, and I think that's important.
"Long term, horsemen have to hold the faith that the economics will improve, that all of us, working together, can improve wagering in Ontario, because obviously that's where we get the best margin. We've got to hope that the long-term planning that Woodbine has been putting in place in terms of land development turns the corner sometime soon. They've got a lot of things hurting them in terms of Canadian economics that are out of their control."
This press release has not been edited by BloodHorse. If there are any questions please contact the organization that produced the release.
