Woodbine Increases its Handle Again in 2010

[odbaxter]

I live here in Toronto and there is a serious, hard core marketing push in the last 2 years going on. I'm not sure who is in charge of this change but he/she is heading for a major promotion. Lots of Television adds in Primetime across all major networks. Print adds in all the Daily Newspapers, combined with an almost cornered slot machine market in a city of almost 3 million. I see another 8-10% in 2011.

We need more grass racing. No doubt!

[CSC]

Originally Posted by odbaxter

I live here in Toronto and there is a serious, hard core marketing push in the last 2 years going on. I'm not sure who is in charge of this change but he/she is heading for a major promotion. Lots of Television adds in Primetime across all major networks. Print adds in all the Daily Newspapers, combined with an almost cornered slot machine market in a city of almost 3 million. I see another 8-10% in 2011.

We need more grass racing. No doubt!

Do you remember the old inner and marshall turf courses there? If you ask me, I thought the turf racing was better then. The misconception about the new course is it favours closers, but in actuality front runners do well on the new course.

[odbaxter]

I started watching after the track was reconfigured. I find that it plays friendly to front runners as well. They tend to be way over protective of the turf and during the week days seem to restrict it to 1 or 2 grass races a day, if that. With the field sizes as big as they are I would imagine that they could really boost the handle if they carded grass more aggressively.

[Round Pen]

We have Raced a Woodbine For Several Years and One thing I thought Would Work Really Well If they Would Do it(But know they never Will).

1st IS too Stop Running Harness Races at Woodbine and Keep them Strictly at Mohawk, Most of the harness people hate the shipping part every day anyway.

2nd I would take the harness track which I believe is 7/8's of a mile and turn it into a dirt track that way you could race on all three surfaces (Dirt, Poly and turf) and when the Weather is good you could card races on all three.

THere also would be alot of options for a racing Secretary when you would have all 3 surfaces.

Like I said its just a thought I feel certain that it will never happen

[CSC]

Originally Posted by Round Pen

We have Raced a Woodbine For Several Years and One thing I thought Would Work Really Well If they Would Do it(But know they never Will).

1st IS too Stop Running Harness Races at Woodbine and Keep them Strictly at Mohawk, Most of the harness people hate the shipping part every day anyway.

2nd I would take the harness track which I believe is 7/8's of a mile and turn it into a dirt track that way you could race on all three surfaces (Dirt, Poly and turf) and when the Weather is good you could card races on all three.

THere also would be alot of options for a racing Secretary when you would have all 3 surfaces.

Like I said its just a thought I feel certain that it will never happen

Interesting idea making the 7/8 track as a third surface, didn't they use this track when they were in the process of installing the polytrack? They used to race at a 2nd track called Greenwood racetrack, it was a little bullring that was better suited for the standardbreds, unfortunately they did away with it and this forced Woodbine to become a multifaceted facility. I'm not a fan of standardbreds, Woodbine is probably the only major track that oversaturates itself with too many products. I think they would do better if they would just concentrate on the T breds, focus on turf racing as EP Taylor's vision was, and why not race in the winter or atleast extend the dates, they have that all weather track?