How Canadian Racetracks Battled On Through the Pandemic

Horsepeople, from the track to the farm, are a resilient group. They had to be following the second year of the scary COVID-19 pandemic that has hung like a dark cloud over the world.

Spectators returned to the track, which was the best news across the country, and racing and sales held their own.

Canadian Thoroughbred’s SIRE BOOK 2022, which is published and available in early January, has reports and interviews from all provinces following the 2021 racing seasons. You can purchase your copy through this website; here are some interesting notes:

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Century Mile

Alberta’s Century Mile racetrack in Nisku, one of two one-mile racetracks in Canada, was able to begin its 2021 season in May, avoiding significant interruption from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through 47 racing dates, total wagering was $36,642,907 compared to $41,962,970 in 2020 when most racetracks in Canada realized record wagering as the only sport in action for the early months of the pandemic.

One of Alberta’s all-time leading jockeys, Rico Walcott, won his second straight riding title at Century Mile in 2021 and his 10th Alberta title overall. The Barbados-born Walcott won 69 races, bettering his 2020 total by one, and rode the earners of $768,069 according to Equibase statistics. It was two years ago that Walcott had to undergo surgery to remove a brain tumor, missing much of the 2019 racing season.

Tim Rycroft captured his third straight trainer’s title with 63 victories from 302 starters (21 percent) and purse earnings of $809,842.

Riversedge led all owners with 26 wins from 129 starts and purses of $403,729.

Greek Geek, a 4-year-old Alberta-bred by Misremembered – A E Phi Sensation, led all horses at the Century Mile meeting with seven wins from nine starts and earnings of $139,535. Bred by Moonshine Meadow Ranch, Greek Geek’s victories included the black-type Don Getty and Century Mile Handicaps.

Century Mile’s signature race, the Canadian Derby (G3) was won by Adam Isfeld’s Uncharacteristic, a son of Texas Wildcatter trained by Robert VanOverschot and bred in Kentucky by Glen Todd.

Hastings Racecourse

Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver, B.C. was the first track in Canada to begin racing in 2021, the second year of the pandemic. The track experienced its second straight shortened season, not only due to the pandemic but also a lack of funds that threatened to end the meeting even earlier. The B.C. Government finally stepped in with funding for racing to continue through September after owner Glen Todd put up a loan in the summer to help the track operate.

Willow Creek Farms, managed by Tia Edwards, won its first owner’s title at Hastings with its best season in which it won 16 races, edging longtime leading owner Glen Todd of North American Thoroughbred Horse Company, which had 15 wins.

Barbara Heads topped all trainers in 2021 with 30 victories from 110 starts (27 percent) and purses of $365,367 with Steve Henson second with 27 wins and $316,717.

Tod Mountain Thoroughbreds’ homebred Kick Up the Dust, a B.C.-bred by Bodemeister, led all horses with five wins.

Jockey Antonio Reyes won his second Hastings title riding 62 winners from 244 starts, edging Efrain Hernandez who had 55 winners. Reyes’ horses earned a meet-leading $747,889.

Assiniboia Downs

It was another banner year in 2021 for Assiniboia in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a track that was coming off a record 2020 meeting.

It hosted 51 racing dates in total and recorded $36,609,401 in wagering, second only to 2020 when Assiniboia’s racing product sharply grew in popularity thanks to innovative wagering opportunities.

The track’s highlight race, the Manitoba Derby, had a record wagering day of over $2.5 million, fuelled by a $1 million guaranteed Jackpot Pick 5 mandatory payout wager. Uncharacteristic, a B.C. invader, won the Manitoba Derby under jockey Alexander Marti for owner Adam Isfeld and trainer Robert VanOverschot.

Jorge Carreno, riding at his first Assiniboia Downs meeting in Winnipeg, Manitoba, led from opening day to closing night to take the track’s riding title with 80 wins from 267 starts, a whopping 30 percent rate. Carreno, who hails from New Mexico, has over 1,500 career wins.

Trainer Jerry Gourneau won his third training title in the last four years as he sent out 58 winners from 338 starters (17 percent) and the earners of $600,257.

Witt’s Tenny Ten is owned by Assiniboia’s leading owner Henry Witt Jr., whose 41 wins dwarfed the 14 wins by second-place owner Wind Dancer Stable.

Woodbine – see info here.

Fort Erie Racetrack

Fort Erie had $28.6 million in wagering for 2021, down from the record 2020 season of just over $40 million and near the $29.9 million recorded in 2019.

Jockey Chris Husbands won his first jockey title of his career and Julie Mathes was the leading trainer for the second straight season as Fort Erie racetrack wrapped up a 39-day racing meet on October 26. Unfortunately, the final card of the border oval was halted after four races due to heavy rain.

Chris Husbands scored 52 wins during the 124th racing season at the border oval.

Mathes secured the title of leading trainer for the second year in a row. During the 2021 season, Mathes won 23 races following her meet-leading 29 wins in 2020. Bruno Schickedanz secured 16 wins, giving him the title of top owner at the border oval this year.

In August 2021, Canadian Thoroughbred did an in-depth report on racing in the provinces following the first year of the pandemic.

On Dec. 22, British Columbia racing and breeding write Nigel Reid summarized the year in racing in Canada: