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Lawson: Ministry Of Health Doesn’t ‘Even Want To Try To Understand,’ Won’t Engage In Dialogue

Woodbine Entertainment CEO Jim Lawson is fed up with the ongoing crisis at Ontario racetracks. The Ontario Ministry of Health has not given the green-light for racing to resume in the province, making Ontario the only major horse racing jurisdiction in the world to not have resumed live racing.

“Racing in the afternoon is safer than training in the morning. This is the ironic part,” Lawson told the Toronto Sun this week. “But they don't even want to try to understand why that is.”

Lawson said the Ministry of Health refuses to engage in any sort of dialogue about resuming live racing in Ontario, despite the fact that indoor sports like professional hockey have been allowed to resume.

Over 1,500 horses and 1,000 individuals have been training and preparing for the 2021 race season at Woodbine alone, and the horsemen are beyond frustrated. Many owners have begun pushing trainers to send horses south of the border to the United States, and backstretch workers' jobs and livelihoods are in jeopardy.

“I am so frustrated,” Lawson continued. “I can't explain to you why there is no dialogue. But there's nothing. The left hand's not talking to the right hand and we are frustrated. (Horse racing) people are taking it out on me and I'm kind of fed up. I've done everything with the Ministry of Health, and there's just nothing.”

Michael Copeland Named Chief Commercial Officer Of Woodbine Entertainment

Woodbine Entertainment announced Tuesday that it has appointed experienced sports executive Michael Copeland as its Chief Commercial Officer as the organization eyes growth opportunities.

Copeland joins Woodbine Entertainment after holding several leadership positions in the Canadian sports industry. Most recently, Copeland founded and led his own consulting business focused on issues of growth and transformation in sports and entertainment. Prior to that, Copeland was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Argonauts (2015 to 2018), who under his leadership won a Grey Cup championship in 2017. Before joining the Argos, Copeland was the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Canadian Football League for nearly 10 years (2006 to 2015).

“With a unique opportunity for substantial growth of our business on the horizon, we are excited to add Michael and his wealth of experience to our senior leadership team,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “In addition to his extensive background in sports and business, Michael is a strong, visionary leader, making him an ideal teammate to lead our commercial efforts as we look to realize those opportunities for growth in a rapidly changing sports marketplace in Canada.”

As Chief Commercial Officer, Copeland will oversee business development, digital strategy, marketing, sponsorships, broadcast and customer experience strategy. The Western University law and MBA graduate will also play a significant role as Woodbine Entertainment continues its efforts to participate in the emerging sports betting sector in Canada and embarks on the most exciting and ambitious real estate development project in the country.

“Woodbine Entertainment is already one of Canada's top sports and entertainment organizations with horse racing and the 50,000 jobs it supports at the centre of it all,” said Copeland, who was named a recipient of Canada's Top 40 Under 40 in 2008. “Yet, the opportunity for it to embrace a bold vision for the future and reimagine its position as a Canadian sports and entertainment leader has never been stronger than it is now.

“Through the years, I have developed a deep appreciation for the horse racing industry and the people within it as my wife's family was involved in the sport for decades. I am honoured to join an organization that has such a rich history, and an even brighter future.”

Copeland joins an experienced leadership team at Woodbine Entertainment that also recently added property development expertise by retaining the services of Collaborative Equities and its Managing Principal and prominent developer William Kohn Fleissig to lead its property development portfolio. Fleissig joins Woodbine as one of the most innovative land developers and community builders of the past 20 years.

“We have a tremendous opportunity in front of us that has the potential to modernize our business model, strengthen our brand, expand our reach and create new revenue streams that will support the horse racing industry for decades to come,” Lawson said.

Copeland starts his role with Woodbine Entertainment on May 10.

Woodbine Entertainment also confirmed today that Christina Litz, who held the position of Vice President, Media, Digital, Business and Revenue Development since December 2019, has departed the organization to join True North Sports and Entertainment in Winnipeg as its Chief Brand and Commercial Officer.

The post Michael Copeland Named Chief Commercial Officer Of Woodbine Entertainment appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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COVID-19 Outbreak At Woodbine Closes One Barn, Increases Monitoring In Others

With the start of the 2021 race meet delayed by a provincial stay-at-home order, Woodbine has been dealt another blow this week as a COVID-19 outbreak forced the closure of Barn 33. According to the Daily Racing Form, the horses in that barn have been shipped out temporarily, and all the personnel are in quarantine.

Several workers in other barns have shown positive tests for COVID-19 as well, and CEO Jim Lawson said increased monitoring will be taking place in those barns. Other measures include medical mask mandates and a push for vaccination of backstretch workers.

“We're going into a critical period here for the next few weeks, until we can get [everybody] vaccinated,” Lawson told the DRF. “We've taken every measure that we can, and we'll get through this.”

No date has been officially named for the start of Woodbine's 2021 season. The current stay-at-home order is scheduled to be lifted on May 20, but there is no guarantee the order won't be extended.

‘Banging My Head Against The Wall’: Lawson Frustrated With Racing Postponement At Woodbine

As a result of the Provincial State of Emergency declared on April 7 by the Government of Ontario, which includes a province-wide 28-day stay-at-home order effective Thursday, April 8, at 12:01 a.m., Woodbine Entertainment announced that the 2021 Thoroughbred Meet at Woodbine Racetrack has been postponed. The stay-at-home order was recently extended to May 20, and Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson told the Toronto Sun he is “frustrated beyond belief” with the lack of action by the provincial government.

Hockey, an indoor sport conducted in a confined space, is allowed to continue in Ontario at this time, but horse racing, an outdoor sport conducted in the open air, is not.

Additionally, morning training is allowed to continue at Woodbine, but racing is not. The same workers are needed for afternoon racing, so there is not an increased risk of infection/transmission.

“Horse racing people are pleading with me to give them a thread of hope so they can go back to their owners and say, 'I talked to Jim. It looks like we're going to be able to race.' But I can't give them that assurance or hope because, quite frankly, I'm tired of giving people hope,” Lawson told the Toronto Sun. “I've had good discussions (with the province and Toronto Health) but nothing seems to be happening. I'm banging my head against the wall. I don't even know where to turn anymore. It's not like I'm not having the right discussions with the right people. But someone has to spend an hour – whatever the time is – to go through what we're doing.”