Toronto, ON – The entry box for the first program of the 2009 Thoroughbred season will close today and Woodbine racing secretary Steve Lym is excited to see the curtain rise on the new year. If the strength of this past weekend’s workout tabs is any indication, racing fans will have plenty from which to choose on Saturday’s expected 10-race card.
Lym said a greater number of horses have been on the Woodbine backstretch for a longer time this Spring, perhaps explaining the frequency of morning time trials. “Even though the backstretch opened at roughly the same time as last year, we had more horses ship in earlier than we did last year – hopefully that translates into strong field sizes early in the year and gives the local horses a competitive shot against the horses wintered in the South.”
With a lucrative purse structure and two world-class racing surfaces, this year’s 167-day meet has the potential to be one of the most competitive seasons in the Toronto racetrack’s history. One of the reasons is a sharp rise in the number of new trainers setting up shop in the Woodbine backstretch. “It’s going to be an interesting meet. In spite of the downturn in the economy, Woodbine continues to be strong. The money we give out here is a driving factor in why people want to come and race here,” said Lym. “There are some nice additions to our local cast.”
Last year, the continent’s leading trainer by wins, Steve Asmussen, maintained a string of horses at Woodbine – his first sojourn outside of the United States. Asmussen made an immediate impact in his first meet, winning 40 races (from 264 starts) and banking $2,266,428. He finished sixth in the standings. His immediate impact has helped drive home a message about the strength of Woodbine racing.
“It’s a hard meet to break into because of our strong local contingency,” said Lym. “At the same time, we’re looking for the best trainers and horses to race at Woodbine. Each new trainer offers something.”
In 2009, more top conditioners, with several thousand career victories between them, will follow Asmussen’s lead and stake claim to a slice of Woodbine’s purse structure. Jerry Hollendorfer, a perennial leader of the Northern California circuit, Steve Klesaris, a lifetime 30 per cent conditioner, and Vladimir Cerin, a winner of over 1,000 races, mainly in Southern California are three of the top names that will have a Woodbine presence in 2009. Dale Capuano, Mike Pino and Wayne Rice are also veterans of the training profession that will have an impact.
“Our racing is as good as anywhere else. When some of the top names want to come race here, it proves that,” said Lym.
While the wave of different American trainers is significant, Lym cautions that it only represents a small percentage of the total number of stalls available at Woodbine. “There’s apprehension when new trainers from outside of Ontario come and race here, but we’ve seen that our horses and trainers are more than capable of winning their share of the races. At the end of day, competition is what racing is all about,” said Lym.
First race post time for Saturday’s program is 1:00 p.m.
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