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The Queen’s Plate To Welcome Back Spectators

One of Canada's most prestigious annual sporting events is excited to welcome back spectators for the first time since June of 2019.

The $1 million Queen's Plate, the longest continuously run Thoroughbred stakes race in North America, will be raced on Sunday, August 22 in front of a crowd of fans at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. It is the first jewel of the OLG Canadian Triple Crown and showcases Canada's top three-year-old Thoroughbreds.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome back spectators as this event just really isn't the same without them,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “Last year we were proud to be able to run this historic race in very challenging circumstances due to the pandemic, but our fans were greatly missed. This year, we can't wait to host spectators and return The Queen's Plate traditions of fashion, live music, and gourmet food and drinks, all centered around the very best horse racing in the country.”

With Ontario currently in Step 3 of its “Roadmap to Reopen Plan”, horse racing facilities are permitted to have up to 50% of their typical capacity. For The Queen's Plate at Woodbine Racetrack this includes grandstand seating, general admission (access to the second and third floor of the grandstand but no assigned seat), seating in its restaurants (Post Parade and The Patio at Champions), and the Premium Trackside Experience which includes two drink tickets, gourmet BBQ, racing programs and front row/rail side access to watch the big race and a special musical performance. The total inventory is estimated at approximately 5,000 tickets. In years past, upwards of 35,000 spectators have attended The Queen's Plate with expanded hosting areas which will not be permitted this year.

More details about the event, including a special musical performance, will be announced in the coming days.

Well-established COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place to offer spectators a safe and enjoyable experience.

“As excited as we are to welcome back fans to The Queen's Plate, we take the safety of our guests, employees, and horse racing participants extremely seriously and have throughout the pandemic,” said Lawson. “Fans can expect to be and feel safe, and have a great experience.”

Tickets for The 162nd Queen's Plate go on-sale to the general public tomorrow at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster. Dining tickets go on-sale on Tuesday, August 3 at 10 a.m. General admission tickets are $20 and grandstand tickets start at $35.

The post The Queen’s Plate To Welcome Back Spectators appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Veterinarian Kristian Rhein To Change Plea In Federal Doping Case

Kristian Rhein, a veterinarian formerly operating out of Belmont Park who was among the 27 individuals indicted in the March 2020 racehorse doping scandal involving Jason Servis and Jorge Navarro, has been granted a change-of-plea hearing on Aug. 3, according to the Thoroughbred Daily News. Rhein originally entered a plea of “not guilty,” and is expected to alter that plea.

The indictment maintains the group was involved in “a corrupt scheme to manufacture, create, purchase, distribute, transport, sell and administer a wide variety of misbranded and adulterated PEDs.”

Rhein, drug distributor Michael Kegley, Jr., Dr. Alexander Chan, assistant trainer Henry Argueta, and Navarro are named together on a charge of drug adulteration and misbranding related to the use of SGF-1000.

On July 23, Kegley entered a guilty plea to one count of drug adulteration and misbranding in United States District Court (Southern District of New York) as part of a plea bargain agreement.

According to the original indictment, Kegley sold SGF-1000 to Rhein, and federal prosecutors have Rhein on tape bragging about selling “assloads” of the illegal performance-enhancing drug.

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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Move-In Date At Laurel Pushed Back To Aug. 10 As Work On Track Surface Wraps Up

While Maryland horsemen had originally hoped to move back into Laurel Park by Aug. 6, officials with The Stronach Group announced this week that they will again have to push back the timeframe based on the progress of a major track resurfacing project. The new target for the resumption of training at Laurel is Aug. 10.

Steve Koch, senior vice president of racing operations for the company, said there is still some final grading work to be done on some portions of the main racing surface, and new cushion material will need to be mixed in throughout. Work on the drainage and base on both the backstretch and frontside of the track is complete, with the work on the front designed so it will match the backstretch.

“The whole oval is a totally new racetrack, as the cushion will be,” said Koch. “We don't put horses on the track until it's safe and ready to go.”

The cushion material was sourced from a Maryland quarry based on its ability to make a specific mix of material that would be consistent with other tracks in the Mid-Atlantic region and be similar to previously successful mixes in Maryland. The company, Stancills, was also chosen for its ability to continue to provide quality-tested material on an ongoing basis without supply chain interruptions.

“One of the challenges we have, not just at Laurel but at a lot of the tracks, is the continuing supply of a consistent enough material so that the track, when it's supplemented or repaired, does not drift over time or change,” said Dr. Mick Peterson, racing surfaces expert consulting on Laurel Park.

After four days of mixing the cushion surface in thoroughly, officials said training can resume Aug. 10 and anticipate timed works will be permitted then if trainers desire.

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The track has also hired Logan Freeman as Maryland Turf Consultant to prepare a review of the irrigation and nutrient management of the turf course. The turf has been aerated regularly since spring, with a break in July to alleviate heat stress, and Koch anticipated that aeration will resume soon and continue indefinitely.

The last day for training at the Maryland State Fairgrounds, where much of the Laurel Park population is stabled temporarily, will be Aug. 7. Staff housing in Timonium-area hotels will close Aug. 12. Horsemen will be able to ship into Laurel beginning Aug. 8.

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Texas Commission Approves Expanded Thoroughbred Dates At Sam Houston

The Texas Racing Commission approved 2022 race dates at its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, July 27.

Sam Houston Race Park will kick off its 2022 live racing season on Thursday, Jan. 6 with an expanded 50-day Thoroughbred meet. Racing will be held Thursdays through Saturdays, and the Thoroughbred meet will conclude on Saturday, April 9.

Sam Houston was granted 46 Thoroughbred days in 2021 and had one of the most successful seasons since it opened in 1994 as the first Class 1 racetrack in Texas. One of the major highlights was its $5.3 million handle for the annual Houston Racing Festival. Houston Ladies Classic (G3) winner St. George Stable's Letruska continues to deny her rivals in graded stakes competition across the United States.

Sam Houston also received approval for their annual Quarter Horse racing season. The 25-day meet will begin on Friday, April 22 and continue through Saturday, June 18.

The Commission also approved 48 Thoroughbred dates from April 28 through July 24 at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Tx., with races held Thursday through Sunday.

A total of 78 Quarter Horse dates were approved across three tracks: Lone Star, Sam Houston, and Retama (Selma, Tx.)

Eight mixed dates were also approved for the Gillespie County Fair.

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