Tag: The Biz

Woodbine Entertainment announced Wednesday that it is prepared to designate a portion of its 684-acre land at Woodbine Racetrack for the development of a new high-performance training centre and stadium for women's and men's soccer in the heart of Toronto's Rexdale community.

In working with private investors and various stakeholders, the soccer project would feature an 8,000-seat soccer specific stadium and a 38,000 square foot training facility with a world-class grass pitch that meets FIFA professional standards.

The venue would be a destination for national soccer training, hosting international federations preparing for major international events and potentially be a groundbreaking opportunity for the further development of women's soccer in this country, from grassroots to the highest levels of competition.

The project would also complement Woodbine Entertainment's ambitious vision to create mixed use neighborhoods and upgrade backstretch and stabling facilities for horse racing. The Woodbine Community Plan demonstrates how one of the largest pieces of undeveloped land in the City of Toronto can be transformed over the coming 25 years into a large-scale urban community — connected to Toronto and the GTA through a proposed privately funded train station to be built on the southeast corner of the property. The community plan is also expected to create upwards of 17,000 jobs.

With approved zoning as part of the overall Woodbine Community Development Plan, the first phase of the project could be ready in 2023. The high-performance centre and stadium plan are being developed by renowned global soccer venue design firm Populous and with additional input and expertise from the Baldassarra family and Greenpark Group.

“With Canada on the brink of qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Women's National Team Olympic Gold Medal win, and Canada co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, the time is certainly right for us to show our support for Canada's growing soccer community,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “We see the power of the game in bringing people together and we cannot think of a more complementary sport as we look to further grow and sustain the horse racing industry and the 25,000 jobs it supports throughout the province.”

The new stadium and performance centre could be a permanent home for a potential domestic professional women's soccer league. It would also be a key training base and stadium for Canadian Premier League clubs including York United FC.

“We are a family of builders and share Woodbine's vision of creating communities for a better Toronto,” said York United Chairman and Greenpark Group Executive, Michael Baldassarra. “We have been so proud to invest in the future of Canadian soccer in recent years and a high-performance training centre and stadium is perfect for what is to come as we see the women's game poised to take giant leaps across the county. This would also be an ideal site for Canada's first women's professional club, and I could see the wider community getting such a wide variety of uses from a facility like this.”

“The 2026 World Cup is an amazing target for so many of us working in Canadian Soccer right now, but before there many other major events that Canadian athletes will need to prepare for,” said Angus McNab, President and CEO York United FC. “Facilities and infrastructure for the professional game to thrive are required and this location is ideal. We would also be very proud to plant the flag to bring the first women's professional team to Canada as part of a much-needed domestic league.”

The stadium and performance centre would also be one of the most accessible through public transportation with the proposed new GO Station. The addition of a stadium would be another key driver of annual visits to a developed community at Woodbine Racetrack that is expected to exceed more than 16 million visitors annually.

The post Woodbine Prepared To Designate Land At 684-Acre Racetrack Site For High Performance Soccer Facility appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Kevin Moody's Cypress Creek Equine LLC is suing four insurance companies that allegedly denied mortality coverage for Cypress Creek's interest in the WinStar Farm stallion Laoban, who died unexpectedly May 24, 2021, at the age of eight.

North American Speciality Insurance Company, XL Specialty Insurance Company, Underwriters at Lloyd's of London, and Lloyd's Kentucky, Inc. are named as defendants in the lawsuit, filed in Fayette Circuit Court  in Lexington, Ky., on March 21.

The complaint states that Laoban, a leading freshman sire of 2020 who moved from Sequel Stallions New York to WinStar Farm near Versailles, Ky., prior to the 2021 breeding season, was a “healthy stallion” who died “after being given vitamin and mineral supplements.”

At the time of Laoban's death, the complaint states, Cypress Creek had mortality coverage in the stallion through the defendant insurers.

However, the complaint states, “In a letter dated Aug. 4, 2021, the insurers wrongfully denied Cypress mortality coverage and therefore an actual controversy exists pursuant to KRS 418.040. The denial violated the clear terms and provisions of the policies.”

The denial letter was not included with the complaint.

The complaint alleges the denial “was alternatively based on provision(s) in the policies which are ambiguous and/or must be construed to afford coverage to Cypress pursuant to its reasonable expectations of coverage.”

Cypress Creek, represented by Escum L. “Trey” Moore of Moore & Moore in Lexington, is seeking the mortality coverage, compensatory damages, costs and attorney's fees.

Laoban, a Kentucky-bred by Uncle Mo, won the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes in 2016, suffered a soft-tissue injury later in the year,  and entered stud at Sequel Stallions New York in 2017 for a $7,500 live foal fee. He was second leading freshman sire in 2020 behind Nyquist, his first crop including G1 winner Simply Ravishing. WinStar jumped Laoban's stud fee to $25,000 after acquiring him for the 2021 season, and, according to Jockey Club statistics, he was bred to 126 mares prior to his death on May 24.

Laoban is the sire of the New York-bred gelding Un Ojo, winner of this year's G2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn. Un Ojo races for the Cypress Creek Equine of Moody, a resident of Lafayette, La.

The post Co-Owner Of Deceased Laoban Sues Insurers Over Denial Of Mortality Coverage appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Twenty-six individuals have been arrested in France, Spain, and Italy in conjunction with an investigation into a horse racing doping ring, reports the New Straits Times.

Those in custody include veterinarians, pharmacists, and trainers from both Thoroughbred racing and trot racing. They may face charges of both  trafficking in doping products and fraud.

Trainers arrested include Yannick Alain Briand, Junior Guelpa, and David Cottin.

France Galop and Le Trot, the governing bodies of racing in France, issued a joint statement after the raid. They said the fight against doping is an “absolute priority of the horse racing industry in France,” and that they “condemned in advance with the utmost firmness the manipulations that could be revealed” by the investigation.

This news comes just months after the arrests of a prominent French racing family on charges of horse doping and forgery: trainers Cedric Rossi, Frederic Rossi, and Charley Rossi, as well as Charley's wife, jockey Jessica Marcialis were among the 15 arrested in December.

Read more at the New Straits Times.

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Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN) announced Tuesday that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Chasers Poker Room in Salem, New Hampshire (Chasers).

Chasers is a charitable gaming facility located approximately 30 minutes from downtown Boston that offers poker and a variety of table games. Since opening in 2017, Chasers has led all New Hampshire charitable gaming operators in both gaming revenue and local charitable contributions.

In 2021, New Hampshire authorized existing charitable gaming operators to offer historical horse racing at licensed facilities. Following the closing of the acquisition, CDI plans to develop an expanded charitable gaming facility in Salem to accommodate historical racing machines (“HRMs”).

“New Hampshire is an exciting opportunity for us, one that allows us to put our historical racing machine expertise to work in the growing New England market,” said Bill Carstanjen, Chief Executive Officer of CDI. “We look forward to sharing more about our plans to build an expanded, state-of-the-art gaming facility in Salem in the coming months.”

Upon closing, New Hampshire will be the fourth state in which CDI operates historical horse racing. CDI currently operates HRMs in Kentucky and will operate HRMs in Virginia (upon closing of the pending acquisition of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment, including its affiliated Rosie's Gaming Emporium HRM facilities) and in Louisiana (upon completion of the HRM expansion into the Company's 14 existing off track betting facilities).

Under New Hampshire law, a portion of revenue from charitable gaming operations is allocated to nonprofit organizations licensed in the state.

The transaction is dependent on usual and customary closing conditions, including the Company obtaining approvals from the New Hampshire Lottery Commission. The transaction is expected to close during the second quarter of 2022.

The post Churchill Downs Purchases Charitable Gaming Facility In New Hampshire, Plans To Add Historical Racing appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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