Downs will race with empty stands

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This article was published 19/03/2020 (2001 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Operators of Assiniboia Downs are making plans to go ahead with the 2020 thoroughbred racing season. They say the survival of the horse racing industry in Manitoba depends on it.

CEO Darren Dunn announced the Downs was closing its facilities to the public for two weeks, effective midnight Wednesday in the wake of a widening COVID-19 pandemic. But the hope is the non-profit track, operated by the Manitoba Jockey Club, will debut live racing on its previously scheduled opening day of May 10, albeit without racing fans in the stands.

“In no way, shape or form are we trying to capitalize on the lack of gaming or sports product out there,” said Dunn Thursday. “That’s not it at all. As a matter of fact, should we run a modified race meet, we’re going to lose money doing it. The reason we believe we have to do it is to save the industry.”

Approximately 140 horses are already training at the Downs, which is about one-quarter of the normal horse inventory.

The number of horses on site directly impacts the daily handle and prize money and Dunn said operators are considering a number of models for a modified racing season.

Blaine McLaren of Winnipeg, who owns six horses currently training at the Downs, was hoping 450 to 500 horses would eventually be quartered at the track.

“If things get worse and our live race meet is not allowed to continue, then yes, it would be very bleak for those local people that own horses, train horses or even breed horses,” said McLaren, who serves as the president of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association of Manitoba. “Without that opportunity to recoup some of the investments they’ve made, there would be a lot of people that would just decide to stop participating.”

A large influx of horses from the U.S. seems unlikely. 

“We think we’re going to be very challenged to get American horsemen up here this year based on the border challenge, the weaker, falling Canadian dollar, the quarantine when you come across the border — many factors,” said Dunn.

“So locally, we believe we have enough horses to run a modified meet. And for those local horses, they’re the ones that don’t travel to race in Florida, Arizona, Nebraska, Texas — where all of our American horsemen are right now.”

“Their last revenue opportunity was the first week of September 2019. Since then, which is the annual experience, they’ve had six to seven months of just pure expenses. So if we can’t get them an opportunity to get revenue, it could be catastrophic to our industry.”

Dunn said the goal is for 50 days of live racing without fans. Only essential staff would be permitted.  

Wednesday’s closure announcement included the Club West Gaming Lounge, on-site simulcast area and food and beverage facilities. However, simulcast wagering remains fully operational. There are numerous racetracks in North America still open for fan wagering.

The Downs was originally permitted to keep some video lottery terminals open as well as the simulcast area and the food and beverage areas but Dunn said, “We wanted to go over and above.”

‘…this is definitely the biggest concern I’ve seen over my 15 years’– Blaine McLaren, president of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association of Manitoba 

The business office is closed but about 100 employees currently on the payroll will continue to be paid during the shutdown, whether they are on duty or not. For the start of racing season, the number of employees was set to rise to 250.

“To be clear as well, I’m a non-profit,” said Dunn. “I’m not the government, I’m not a well-capitalized private company, so I have financial limits. But we felt it was important for our valued employees over the next two weeks to have no worries about this. Concentrate on your health, help us out where you can and where it makes sense.”

Dunn admitted the two-week shutdown may not be enough, but points to the roughly two dozen tracks, about half the total number in the U.S., that have remained open for business without fans in the stands.

McLaren remained optimistic the season will go head.

“We’ve had different seasons where there have been curveballs thrown at us and we’ve had concerns about whether we would be able to complete meets, as funding, at different times, has changed,” said McLaren. “But this is definitely the biggest concern I’ve seen over my 15 years.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14