Horsepeople at Hastings racecourse in Vancouver, BC cleaned out their barns and tack rooms earlier this month and have dispersed to tracks south of the border and in other parts of Canada. With Nina Krieger, the British Columbia government’s Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, pulling the plug on the slot machine revenue that has funded purses at Hastings and then Great Canadian Gaming announcing racing would halt at the track, horsepeople were left homeless.
Some have gone to Emerald Downs in Washington State, others to Alberta. Some have applied for stalls at Woodbine and could be seen as early as next week when the backstretch opens for shipping in for the 2026 season.
DAVID MILBURN, president of the BC Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, is among the new faces on the Woodbine stall list for this spring. Milburn is just one training win away from 300 victories and he has been immersed in trying to come up with a solution for racing in BC. The BC HBPA is holding its second HBPA info session on Wednesday, February 25, a virtual meeting at 7 p.m. to discuss progress towards securing racing later in 2026 and beyond.
For now, Milburn is expected to be among several BC horsepeople landing at Woodbine to race or work. SHAWN LAWSON, who has been to Woodbine to assist other trainers who have moved from the west to Ontario, has stalls in Barn 10 and STEVE BRYANT, who came to Woodbine with a few horses in 2021, is set to return after stints in California and New Orleans. TODD KETTLESON returns to Woodbine after he had a small stable with his wife, trainer Alivia Kettleson.
There are some 130 trainers signed up for stalls for the spring and there are a few returning or new trainers on the scene. SCOTT MARTIN, who trained a few horses for Camhaven Stable in 2023, has a couple of his own horses shipping in. ALLISTAIR SHERMAN saddled his first three horses late last year at Woodbine and CARLINGTON WHITE recently earned his license. PRESTON FERRIS returns as trainer for Camhaven, having been absent for a couple of years.
The Woodbine season is said to be starting April 18 and dates for all Ontario tracks will be confirmed at the completion of current talks between Ontario Racing and Woodbine with regards to further funding from the provincial government.
More News
