A former Chief Operating Officer at Woodbine Entertainment, Sean Pinsonneault (pronounced pin-son-o) has been retained as a consultant by the TBC Teletheatre Board of Directors to analyze and identify opportunities to increase wagering handle in the province as well as the live racing products at Hastings Racecourse and Fraser Downs.
“We are excited to have Sean on board to enhance our ongoing mandate to increase exposure to horse racing at Hastings Racecourse and Fraser Downs,” said Matthew Ruhlman, BC Racebook Chief Operating Officer. “His background speaks for itself.”
Dave Milburn, President of The Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association of BC (HBPA-BC), added: “This is an excellent initiative on the part of TBC. We hope Sean's involvement will take us to a new level. He'll penetrate markets that haven't been available to us.”
Pinsonneault founded Bluslate Inc. in 2017 to focus on improving revenues for the long-term prosperity of the horse racing industry. With more than 30 years of leadership experience in racetrack management and technology focusing on bringing new innovations to the market, Pinsonneault contributed in no small way to the well-documented success story at Assiniboia Downs over the past few years.
“I'm certainly not here to take all the credit,” Pinsonneault said from his office in Oakville, Ontario. “It was a case of a great team working together at a time when we had to start with a whole new slate with the arrival of the COVID pandemic.”
Without spectators allowed on the grounds at Assiniboia Downs, CEO Darren Dunn in concert with Pinsonneault introduced Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night racing along with other player-focused initiatives that resulted in huge increases in Assiniboia's wagering and nationwide attention.
The new format avoided head-on weekend internet wagering competition with U.S.-based tracks such as Santa Anita, Gulfstream, Woodbine, Churchill Downs and Belmont Park.
Assiniboia Downs made international racing headlines when a record one-day handle of $3,523,260 was bet on its eight-race Aug. 1, 2022 holiday Monday card on 'Manitoba Derby Day'.
“We were fortunate to be a part of Assiniboia's remarkable growth,” Pinsonneault says. “Their daily handle on live racing increased from approximately $250,000 per day to over $1.1million per day. The success has been a result of many factors. The staff was eager to do whatever it took to make the business work. I'm confident that same attitude will apply at Hastings Racecourse.”
Pinsonneault's introduction to the racing industry was in 1988, maintaining tote equipment at Hiawatha Horse Park, a small track in his home town of Sarnia, Ontario. He began a 16-year career at Woodbine as Director of Pari-Mutuel Operations and rose through the executive ranks to Chief Operating Officer.
His 30 years of experience in racetrack management and technology have included titles as Chairman & President of Racetrack of Canada, Secretary Director for the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau and Director for the Ontario Standardbred Alliance.
The 45-day Thoroughbred racing calendar at Hastings Racecourse launches Sunday, April 30 with a 2:00 pm start. The 'first-half' of the 2023 Fraser Downs schedule is well underway with the Standardbreds running every Thursday & Friday night at 7:00 pm through May 4 & 5.
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