Hastings Park Racecourse is readying for a 2023 season that will see more horses run in front of more spectators in a refurbished racetrack.
Live thoroughbred horse racing returns to the region on Sunday (April 30) afternoon at its longtime East Vancouver home on the Pacific National Exhibition grounds.
Hastings Racecourse & Casino director of operations Ryan McCartney told BIV that barn stall applications lead him to think that there should be around 450 horses at the track this year,
That compares with approximately 400 horses at the track last year, he said.
The plan is for the track to once again have 45 race days, with 28 stakes races – one fewer than last year. McCartney does not expect a higher average number of races per race day, with that average staying at slightly more than seven, he said.
The total purse from the racecourse's 28 stakes races is set to be $1.75 million, or about $50,000 more than last year. If a horse wins the Manitoba Derby in Winnipeg, the Canada Derby in Edmonton and the B.C. Derby at Hastings, the horse would be awarded $100,000 on top of the $125,000 prize that it would get for winning the B.C. Derby, McCartney said. That would push up total prize money in all of Hastings' stakes races to $1.85 million, he added.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced Hastings' horse racing to operate on a truncated schedule in front of no fans in the grandstand in 2021. Last year, fans were welcome but McCartney said he could not say for sure how many people attended, because entrance is free and there are no turnstiles.
He estimated that there were about 150,000 spectators last season, and said that he expects that number to rise by about 20 per cent this year.
He added that he expects the facility to have about 200 staff this year, up from about 130 workers last year.
"We've really developed our corporate sales team and sponsorship team so we are seeing a lot more corporate bookings in all the spaces," McCartney said.
"Last year, we were trying to get as many bookings as we could but we just didn't have all the pieces in place."
The facility has a marquee tent that can house about 200 people, a trackside patio that can hold around 100 people, as well as other spaces, he added.
The facility has contracted the entertainment company Feaster to once again organize festivities for the stakes race known as The Cup. Entrance tickets are sold that day, and can be $100 or more. Attendees often dress extravagantly and wear frilly hats in a way that resembles the Kentucky Derby, and other big race days in other countries.
Management is making efforts to attract families to the track. Not only will admission continue to be free on all other race days, but there are set to be entertainment options that go beyond horse racing.
"We're bringing back the wiener dogs and the Corgi races, which is a huge draw for us," McCartney said.
"That ran pre-COVID but we didn't do it last year because we didn't have the staff to do it properly."
Money is not wagered on those dog races, as they are intended as entertainment between races.
McCartney added that he plans to have car shows coincide with some race days, so visitors can admire Corvettes, Mustangs and supercars.
Racecourse owner Great Canadian Entertainment spent an unspecified amount to paint the grandstand and put new vinyl banners between seating areas, McCartney said.
That company was previously known as Great Canadian Gaming Corp., and was based in Richmond. It now counts its head office as Toronto, and is part of Apollo Global Management.
McCartney said punters at the racetrack last year on average bet $129,474 per race day. The total average amount bet per day, or the handle, including off-track betting, was $692,669, he said.
"We are expecting at least a 10 per cent to 15 per cent bump in 2023," he said.
