Woodbine Entertainment Group | Horse Racing Free Tips

Anderson: Woodbine’s ‘Bully Tactics’ Could Result In ‘Mass Exodus’ Of Ontario-Breds

On Tuesday, the consortium that operates Fort Erie racetrack filed a grievance with the Canadian Trade Commission over alleged strongarm business tactics by Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) that Fort Erie contends are designed to “starve Fort Erie of its necessary horse supply.”

Two days later, David Anderson, a prominent Ontario-based breeder who owns Anderson Farms and serves on the boards of three key Thoroughbred organizations in Canada, told TDN that Woodbine's tactics are, in his opinion, a coordinated effort to hamper Fort Erie's operations, and that some of those detrimental decisions are being funded by money that is supposed to be earmarked for Thoroughbred-industry improvement in Ontario.

Anderson also warned that some of Woodbine's purse allocation strategies for the 2023 meet that starts Apr. 22–namely the reduction of maiden special weight (MSW) purses from $126,000 (Canadian) to $111,600 to purportedly bolster the money offered for low-level claiming races-could result in “the biggest mass exodus of Ontario bred horses” out of the province.

“There's no reason on earth why Woodbine should be running $5,000 claimers and competing against Fort Erie,” Anderson said. “I mean, it's just never been that way. And there's enough room in the province for an A track and a B track. But they're just trying to snuff out their competition. And the horsemen don't want it. The government doesn't want it. It's just Woodbine upper brass, just… I don't know what the proper word is for it.”

“I have a significant investment in the game,” Anderson said. “I'm one of the bigger breeders in Canada, and I sit on all these industry boards. Ontario Racing. I sit on the board of the HBPA in Ontario. I sit on the board of the Jockey Club of Canada. I'm on every single industry board, committee [and] subcommittees that there are. And no one is willing to step up and speak out against Woodbine because of the bully tactics and the dictatorship that [WEG chief executive officer Jim] Lawson's been running.

“They're afraid he's going to take away stalls from them on the backside; he's going to exercise private-property rights and kick them off the grounds,” Anderson continued. “I mean, it's just a complete totalitarian regime over there. And I don't want to sit here and make the article a complete bashing of Woodbine. We've got so many things that are fantastic that are going on [in Ontario]. Unfortunately, we're on this island up there that the tail wags the dog, and Woodbine is the mothership. And with the stroke of the pen, they can take one of our programs basically illegally and take those funds and redirect it or reallocate it into a program that they want to do that bolsters their profits.”

Anderson articulated other specific criticisms in his Apr. 20 interview, such as Woodbine's “no return” shipping policy for horses that leave the grounds to race at Fort Erie. He also echoed concerns about an allegation that surfaced in Fort Erie's formal grievance: the recent rescheduling of the Canadian Triple Crown series, which he alleged works to Woodbine's advantage and against both Fort Erie and the best interests of Ontario's overall racing industry.

TDN on Friday emailed Woodbine's communications director, Jamie Dykstra, requesting an interview with Lawson (or any other company executive) to give Woodbine the chance to get its side of the story about Anderson's complaints on the record.

In response, Dykstra wrote that no interview would be forthcoming. He attached a fact sheet about purses and a prepared statement that Woodbine had issued earlier in the week about Fort Erie's grievance.

That press release stated: “The assertions made by Fort Erie Race Track are baseless and without merit and we will vigorously and confidently defend ourselves if requested by the Canadian Trade Commission or any other regulatory authority. We are very proud of the vital role we play in supporting the strength, success and growth of the Ontario horse racing industry. We are very much looking forward to starting our 2023 meet this Saturday. We will have no further comment on this matter at this time.”

'How are we improving the breed?'

Anderson underscored how the province's racing industry should be operating from a solid starting point instead of dealing with infighting between Ontario's two Thoroughbred tracks.

“I sit on the board of Ontario Racing, which governs all of the racing in Ontario. It's a government-appointed board that administers all of the funds for Thoroughbred racing, Standardbred racing, and Quarter Horse racing. And there's subcommittees on that board. One of them is the Thoroughbred Improvement Program, or TIP.

“We have a mare purchase program that we've been promoting quite heavily,” Anderson said. “We've brought in well over 300 brand-new, pregnant mares into the province in the last three years, which has been much needed in our province. We were actually [up] double digits in live foals, in mares bred, in new stallions in our province, which is greater than any jurisdiction in North America. So there's lots of great points here that we've [put] into place.”

Anderson said that during the same time frame, TIP ushered in a program that had increased MSW purses at Woodbine to $126,000 by the end of the 2022 meet.

“And it's been crazy-successful for Ontario breds. Ontario bred yearlings in the last three years are up 68% average at the sales. People are buying Ontario-bred yearlings because they want to run in this program. Breeders are buying better mares, breeding to better stallions because they're able to sell their yearlings for more money. And ultimately, it's because of the program.”

But Anderson said he was dismayed when Woodbine's first 2023 condition book got released, and MSW purses had been slashed from $126,000 to $111,600.

“Once these owners that have bought yearlings last fall and the fall before and are expecting to run for those purses find out about it, they're going to leave,” Anderson said.

“[And] the fact is, it's government money,” Anderson continued. “This program was set up by TIP. It's worked and it is working, and [Woodbine] can't just take the money and go and put it where they want to put it. They can take their other purse account money and go and do with it whatever they want, or they actually have to negotiate it with the HBPA. But they're not even doing that. There's zero negotiations with the HBPA. I sit on that board. I sit on the liaison committee. I know exactly what's gone on. It's zero.

“How are we improving the breed by taking money from our upper-echelon horses and putting it into $5,000 claimers?” Anderson said. “They're leveraging those government dollars to bolster their own coffers.”

Photo courtesy Fort Erie

'I can't sit back and watch'

Anderson said he is hoping that a planned regime change at Woodbine could bring about a new sense of cooperation. On Apr. 11, WEG announced that Lawson will be stepping down from his role as CEO this fall after 15 years at the track in various management positions, although it is expected that Lawson will be associated with Woodbine in a “senior role” that will be defined at a later date.

“Jim Lawson has finally stepped down, which is going to be hopefully a very positive move for the horse industry in Ontario,” Anderson said. “The problem is there's no one to take over. There's no one currently in upper management at Woodbine that knows the mane from the tail. And we've got to put the feelers out there across North America or the world and try and find somebody that can step in and take on that role.

“The horsemen are the stakeholders of Woodbine,” Anderson said. “It's a not-for-profit. We are the stakeholders and these guys at Woodbine and their board, quite frankly, have to be accountable and there has to be governance. And now that Jim's stepped down, there has to be a proper executive search done for a proper CEO that understands horse racing.”

Anderson said that for years, Woodbine “always ran with Fort Erie as a sister track.” But that mindset has been quashed.

“If you couldn't break your maiden at Woodbine, you drove 40 minutes down the road and you broke your maiden at Fort Erie and came back,” Anderson said. “If you had a well-bred filly that couldn't win at Woodbine, but you wanted to get a win under her belt, you'd run down there and do it. And when David Willmot ran the place [until retiring in 2012], he understood that. He's a breeder. He is an owner, he got it. Now they've put this rule in, if you leave Woodbine and go run at Fort Erie, you can't come back.

“When I was a kid growing up back in the '70s, the lowest claiming rank at Woodbine was $6,250,” Anderson said. “It's now $5,000 at Woodbine. They have become a B track, but on purpose. They don't want good horses.”

“And here we are, struggling as much as we can to get better horses and build our industry,” Anderson said. “And we've got this mothership doing the opposite, and they don't get it. They want to run $5,000 claimers because they're 12-horse fields. They pay out a $20,000 purse, and they get big pari-mutuel wagering out of it. Yet in the last 15 years, we've had $4 million in purse increases on a $70 million contract. I mean, it's nothing. You look at every racetrack around North America over the last 15 years, and tell me how much their purses have gone up.

“Woodbine, it's a different mindset,” Anderson summed up. “And as a horseman and as a person, I'm in a position where I can stand up to these guys. I can let them have it. What are they going to do to me? Kick me off the grounds, take my box away? I've known Jim for 20-plus years. My father sat on the board of Woodbine for 35 years. I mean, I've been going to that place since I was a kid, and I absolutely love it. It's home to me. [But] I can't sit back on behalf of all the horse people in Canada and watch this happen. They have to be accountable. And kudos to Fort Erie for actually taking it to court.”

Anderson's sister, Jessica Buckley, was the Senior Vice President of Standardbred and Thoroughbred Racing at Woodbine, but resigned last June.

The post Anderson: Woodbine’s ‘Bully Tactics’ Could Result In ‘Mass Exodus’ Of Ontario-Breds appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Woodbine to Welcome Back Spectators July 1

Woodbine Racetrack will allow spectators–at 25% capacity in the grandstand and on the track apron–beginning on Canada Day, July 1. “We are thrilled to be able to open our doors on Canada Day and welcome back our owners and some spectators to the track who have been dearly missed,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “We have been operating live racing for a couple of weeks now, but it's just not the same with empty stands. We are thankful to the government for entrusting us to safely welcome back a limited number of spectators.” Reservations will be required to attend the races. Click here for more information.

The post Woodbine to Welcome Back Spectators July 1 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Woodbine’s Lawson Honors Legacy Of Late Trainer Janet Bedford

It might not have been a popular choice, or even a consideration for most at the time, but Mel Lawson knew it would be a perfect fit.

As a horseman with a well-earned and well-deserved reputation as one of Canada's most successful owner-breeders, the man with a stable chock full of Thoroughbred stars had a decision to make back in the early to mid 1980s, one that would be a game changer for his Jim Dandy Stable.

There was no shortage of trainers that Lawson could opt for – seasoned veterans of the sport, up-and-coming talents, diamond-in-the rough sorts – to lead his string of horses.

The man who had led the Hamilton Wildcats to Grey Cup gridiron glory in 1943 didn't have to call an audible when he named Janet Bedford to campaign his stable.

For Jim Lawson, Mel's son, and CEO of Woodbine Entertainment Group, the decision, in retrospect, was audacious, but undoubtedly the right one to make.

“It's interesting now when I look back and think about it… maybe it's in light of what has happened in recent months in the media regarding the focus on diversity. Hats off to my dad when I think of the times 40 years ago when he decided he wanted a woman trainer in a backstretch that was completely dominated by men. Janet had worked for [Canadian Hall of Fame trainer] Ted Mann, and I think my dad just felt she knew the horses, and he had confidence in her.”

It's one of many memories he has of Bedford, who recently passed away.

“Now that I think of it, 40 years later, it was probably a bold move. I didn't think of it that way at the time. I'm not sure whether he did, but looking back to those days, I think he saw her as very capable, trustworthy around the horses, and certainly knew them well. It was a natural thing for him to do. I don't think many of the owners at the time with good horses – and he had good horses – would have done that. I don't know. It's very interesting to look back on that now. I now look back and say, 'Wow… that was a good thing.' She definitely deserved it.”

The elder Lawson, inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2010, saw Bedford as an ideal orchestrator for horses like Let's Go Blue and Eternal Search, a dynamic Jim Dandy duo that had stamped themselves as bona fide talents.

Let's Go Blue, a son of Bob's Dusty who won the 1984 Plate Trial and finished second in the Queen's Plate that same year, went on to win Alberta's Canadian Derby and Hastings Racecourse's Grade 3 BC Derby. As a four-year-old, he took the Grade 3 Dominion Day and the Speed to Spare at Northlands, a race he won again in 1986 along with the Fair Play Stakes. He was also third in the Stuyvesant (G2) at Aqueduct before he was retired with over $750,000 (US) in purse earnings.

Up until the 1984 Queen's Plate, there had only been two women trainers to saddle a horse in the iconic Canadian race; Estelle Giddings, widow of Henry Giddings, an eight-time Plate winner, briefly took over the reins of her husband's stable and had a starter in 1950, while Olive Armstrong sent out a starter three years later.

Eternal Search, Mel's brilliant three-time Sovereign Award winning mare of 15 stakes races, came to Bedford's barn in 1983 and went on to win the Nassau Stakes at Fort Erie. The Eternal Search Stakes is run annually at Woodbine.

“We had a chance to travel with Let's Go Blue a few times and Eternal Search as well,” Jim recalled. “That's when you could see how much Janet doted and how much she cared for her horses. I think she probably loved Eternal Search more than anything.”

Interestingly, it's not winner's circle trips that first come to mind for Jim when speaking of Bedford's training exploits.

“First and foremost, it was her love for the animal, a true love for horses, that stands out for me. That is the thing that first comes to mind in my memory of her. When she'd go away with the horses, she'd pretty much want to sleep right beside them. She was just so passionate in caring for her horses. I think somehow there's an intangible there. When someone cares about their horses – rubs them like that, walks them like that – you know they are under the best of care. At some level, I think that's important to a horse, that they know they are so cared for.”

The end results for the multiple stakes winning trainer were 193 career wins and $4.6 million in purse earnings.

Beyond those numbers, however, is a far more significant stamp Bedford has left on Thoroughbred racing, especially at Woodbine Racetrack.

It's something Jim, and many others, are appreciative of.

“We have a very disproportionate number of very capable, very successful women trainers at Woodbine compared to other racetracks around the world. There are so many names at Woodbine, so I won't try to list them all. I think in order for that to happen, there needed to be a pathway. There are a lot of women that work in the Woodbine backstretch, and to have someone who would pave the way like that, and say, 'You can do it,' is a credit to Janet. I think, in part, she has helped Woodbine foster so many great women trainers. It's a very nice thing for our industry, and a very nice thing to acknowledge Janet for having some of the credit for that.”

Catherine Day Phillips, Josie Carroll, Barbara Minshall and Gail Cox are some of the numerous Woodbine-based female conditioners who have experienced success at home and on the world stage over the past 30-plus years.

A multiple graded stakes winner, Day Phillips, whose stars include Grade 1 champion Jambalaya, and graded stakes victors A Bit O'Gold, and Mr Havercamp, is thankful for Bedford and the others who helped open the gates for women trainers.

“My first thought of Janet is her association with Let's Go Blue,” said Day Phillips, whose mother Dinny Day was also a successful trainer. “She was one of the first female trainers I remember, and she was a pioneer in that way. She helped pave the way for female trainers, especially for those of us at Woodbine.”

Around four or five years ago, while he was cleaning his parents' house, Jim came across a piece of nostalgia from the halcyon days of Jim Dandy Stable.

The moment he stumbled upon it, he thought of Bedford.

“I hadn't seen Janet in a while. It was probably four or five years ago, when I was cleaning out my parents' house, and I found an old Jim Dandy Stable jacket. Janet was walking hots for Sid [trainer, Attard] and I took that jacket – which looked pretty much brand new – to her. It was in my dad's closet and it had never been cleaned out. He died in 2011, so this was around 2015 or 2016. I took it to Janet and she nearly burst into tears. It was indicative of how much that era of training meant to her.”

And just as she was in her role as Mel Lawson's trainer, the jacket was a perfect fit.

“She proved herself, loved the horses and took care of them,” said Jim. “I think that's what my dad saw in her.”

The post Woodbine’s Lawson Honors Legacy Of Late Trainer Janet Bedford appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

John Fielding: ‘I Think The Future Is Going To Be Very Bright For Horse Racing In Ontario’

Although John Fielding remains modest in speaking of his time on the board at Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG), the contributions he made are quite the opposite.

One of horse racing's most passionate supporters, Fielding, who owned his first Standardbred at the age of 16, recently announced he was stepping down from the board he served on for 16 years.

“I think any good board needs fresh ideas, fresh faces and younger ideas,” said Fielding, who retired as Director and Chair of the Standardbred Racing Committee. “I thought it was a good time to give someone else a kick at the can.”

Throughout his time on the WEG board, Fielding, one of the highest profile and successful names in harness racing, a two-time owner of the year, whose star Standardbred pupils include Father Patrick and 2018 Hambletonian Oaks winner, $2.2 million earner, Manchego, worked in concert with other board members to navigate the industry through difficult periods.

Most notable of all, Fielding recalled the 2012 cancellation of SARP, the Slots At Racetrack Program, that plunged horse racing in Ontario into peril.

While plenty of questions surrounded the future of the sport, Fielding felt confident the sport wouldn't simply survive, but would one day thrive.

Coming up with the right answers was hardly an easy task, but the board, Fielding included, worked diligently to find them.

“After the SARP cancellation, making our way through that was a real challenge,” noted Fielding. “It was a challenging time for the horsepeople and everyone connected to the industry because we were all caught so off-guard. The rebuilding to healthiness I think has been a great feat for everyone on the board and for Woodbine, and its management team as a whole. It's been a long road, but I think we're really on the right path now. I thought we'd get to where we are today. There was enough clout in the industry and I thought the industry was strong enough to come together and do the right thing to get to the place where we're at now.”

Jim Lawson, CEO of WEG, (who shared a story about how his family and the Fieldings share a connection dating back to WWI, see below) has high praise for Fielding's many contributions on the WEG board, and to racing itself.

“From my perspective, at the end of the day, what Woodbine is all about is horse racing,” said Lawson, chair of the Thoroughbred Racing Committee on the WEG Board, and a member of the Standardbred Racing Committee. “When you have strong, passionate horsepeople on the board, it really helps with the mandate because it brings back into focus that horse racing is what we are. That can manifest itself in a couple of ways. All of the opportunities and different things we look at – we have to be mindful that it's horse racing owners, breeders, and wagering customers that we need to serve. We have this wonderful set of real estate assets and other things we can be pursuing, but at the end of the day, when you have a strong horseperson on your board – as a CEO, I certainly didn't need the reminder – it sure helps when you have people like John who are focused on racing.”

Lawson also noted Fielding's ability to approach issues in racing with a fair and open mind, someone capable of seeing varying perspectives through a unique lens.

“John wore both hats, being a Standardbred owner and being on the board,” started Lawson. “He could be objective about things. He could give an objective answer wearing both hats. I truly appreciate that. I've come out of a Thoroughbred background – everyone knows that – and I always remind myself to wear both hats. John naturally wears both hats, which is a great foundation for me looking at things. One critical move was moving the Standardbreds out to Mohawk permanently. Everyone looked at me a little cross-eyed when I first mentioned it. Immediately the question came up, 'So, Jim, you're doing all of this real estate development at Woodbine and you're ultimately going to generate proceeds. Hopefully, as CEO, you're not going to produce all these proceeds for Thoroughbreds, are you?' I don't think that way. Anything we make on real estate is to the benefit of our business, which means both breeds. Having John there as a person who could easily and naturally wear two hats was important for me, someone that I could consult with. Occasionally, as you might expect, conflicts come up between different races, different nights, events, expenditures… it was good to have John as a sounding board. He was kind of my go-to guy when I needed consultation. He knew horse racing. He wore those two hats well. That was important.”

For Fielding, it was important to play his part in seeing horse racing thrive in Ontario.

It was a hallmark of his time on the board, and it remains one to this day.

His personal horse racing road to success was forged well before his time on the WEG board.

Growing up in Toronto, he rode the streetcar with his brother to Greenwood Raceway where their passion for the sport first began. Introduced to harness racing by his father, Fielding rose up the ranks to become one of its most celebrated owners. He has over 20 Breeders' Crown titles to his name, and has also enjoyed success with Thoroughbreds. In the late '90s, Fielding met Standardbred and Thoroughbred breeder Fred Hertrich at a Standardbred sale at Woodbine. They recorded their first win as breeders in the 2017 Thoroughbred World Championships when 'TDN Rising Star' Rushing Fall won the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Just the type of person – and horseperson – tailor-made to sit on the WEG board.

“John led the Standardbred Committee for years and he did that in a very balanced way,” said Lawson. “Even as chair of the committee, he knew he had a larger fiduciary duty. I think that stands out for me, the manner in which he led that Standardbred Committee. He never forgot that he had a larger responsibility to the corporation, and I admired him for that.

“Secondly, much like [accomplished Thoroughbred trainer] Mark Casse – I'll throw that out there – they're great ambassadors for the Woodbine brand, internationally, and in particular, North America. John is very much in the mix, given the level of his investment in both breeds. Thirdly, I'm reminded of the recent Mohawk Million. He stepped up and bought a slot himself, but he was, in no small way, in that ambassador role, letting people know about the race. He encouraged people to buy slots. We need to thank him for his involvement in the Mohawk Million, too.”

Fielding, founder of Array Marketing, a leading global provider of retail merchandising solutions, is thankful himself, appreciative of his time on the board and for the friendships he made because of that role.

“I've met some wonderful, wonderful people and made some fantastic friendships that will last the rest of my life. I'm proud of what we've accomplished thus far. I'm proud to have been associated with it, and I'm proud of both breeds. We still have a ways to go, but we're on real level footing now. It's been a pleasure working with the different chairs I have, including Jim Lawson, and the different management teams. I think the management team we have now is the strongest I've ever seen it. It's a great team and I think we're in good hands.”

While he'll be dedicating more time to his business interests and family, one thing that won't change is Fielding's enduring bond with horse racing.

“I'm so busy with my business interests that you have to try juggle your life around this business. I'm involved in horse racing quite extensively, in both breeds, but that, in addition to all of the other business interests I have, you kind of run short of time when you want family time, and other things. You have to simplify things the older you get.

“But this sport, it gets into your blood and it got into my blood at a very young age. I always dreamt of being involved in the industry, both Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds. I was a huge fan of E.P. Taylor, and I think the board and everyone involved in horse racing could always look at him as the key figure, the one who bought all the land where we are at Woodbine today. He had the vision. The job of the board is to be the custodian of that property and those wishes. And I think we've done a very good of that. Horse racing is alive and well.”

Another big reason why Fielding believes the board, and industry, is in good hands.

“As we move into the next phase of trying to make horse racing fully self-sustainable, I think we're doing all the right moves. I think the future is going to be very bright for horse racing in Ontario.”

Thanks, in no small part, to the efforts of John Fielding.

From Jim Lawson:

“My great uncle, who my dad [Mel] was named after, went to war in World War I, and died on the battlefield right near the end of the war. Ultimately, what was recovered was his diary, and then after that, some letters, when my dad did some family tree searching. It turned out that my great uncle had been corresponding and had intended to marry a woman named Grace Fielding. That wasn't her maiden name, but that was John's grandmother. When my dad found out that his great uncle who he was named after – my dad and I visited his gravesite in France and followed his battle route form his diary – he tracked down Grace Fielding who was in a nursing home in Hagersville [ON]. Starting around 1985, my dad started visiting Grace and talking with her. She had saved those letters from my great uncle from Word War I in the battlefields.

“Early on, the Fielding family became aware of this man – who was in the horse racing business – that was visiting their mother and grandmother. Around that time, John was becoming a big investor in horse racing. When my dad had some good horses like Eternal Search and Let's Go Blue, John's grandmother was cutting out clippings from the newspaper and sending them to John. We have this family connection going back to then.

“Going back 35-40 years, I found out that John was a huge fan of racing through this unusual connection between the Lawsons and the Fieldings, a story that dates back to World War I. I knew about John and John knew my dad. He approached my dad back in the 1980s.

“I was asked to join the board of Woodbine and John was already on the board. I had heard about him, and when I walked into the first board meeting, he gave me a hug. He said, 'I know you! We should have been relatives.' Then we both recounted the stories of my great uncle and his grandmother.”

The post John Fielding: ‘I Think The Future Is Going To Be Very Bright For Horse Racing In Ontario’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post