By Larry Resnitzky

Ah, Atlantic Canada is indeed a very special place. The ocean breezes . . . they may not be quite as pleasant as those advertised in the tourist brochures for June, July and August come January, February and March on the East Coast . . . but as the snow, sleet, freezing rain and whatever else drops from the heavens here (hopefully no rubber chickens), we continue to get our two year olds in gear, stuff ourselves at industry banquets and attend “symposiums,” if we happen to receive an invitation.
The stallions are upon us too. And what a powerful and well bred bunch they are this year in our region.
There’s lots of optimism out there. Horsemen and horsewomen continue to work hard in the off-season regardless of the weather, the economy or the governments of different stripes (NB and NS) that haven’t yet understood that one dollar of investment in the harness racing industry will get you a $10 return of investment according to the 2010 MRSB Consulting Services report, PEI Harness Racing Sector, Working Together, Capitalizing on Opportunities for Growth.
Some might say that I’m a professional dreamer. We may be having a downturn in the economy, but I like to believe the upturn is coming. Do you remember when White Juan, the hurricane, knocked the roof off the old and deteriorating CDP a few years back and a $28 million facility took its place on the very site of the old CDP soon after? Summerside’s old grandstand was catastrophic, and voilà, a multi-million dollar facility took its place. As horse people worked with government(s) and Atlantic Lottery, a new star was born – Red Shores – and then with the guidance of Tom Mullally, Brett Revington and Lee Drake, a new racing model was born – Gaming, Dining and Racing. Along with this model came . . . Can you spell HPI? . . . And PEI’s sinking ship, in steady decline for over 20 years, began its upswing. The live total bet, including HPI in both Charlottetown and Summerside, was up over $630,000 in 2011 from 2010.
Only one other racetrack in Atlantic Canada last year saw its bet increase and that was Fredericton Raceway, up by over $5,000 in 2011 over 2010. HRNB and the government of NB have a winner in their midst and it’s Fredericton Raceway. The facility is pleasant with solid scapes but it does need a makeover. Its potential is being underestimated. Saint John has great potential too and history on its side.
HRNB needs to draw upon the PEI experience but that is difficult when you’re looking for Band-Aids to stop the bleeding every day. I have a lot of faith in Jeff Malloy. The industry needs to rally around him – especially now. News of resignations from the HRNB team suggests that there is some panic there, but out of adversity, comes opportunity. As one of NB’s finest, Archie McLean, former vice president of marketing and general manager at McCain Foods in Florenceville once told me, “adversity can knock you down, or it can polish you up.” I saw Jeff in action in Fredericton during FREX week and I liked what I saw. Don’t hand him an anchor. He needs helping hands, and he needs them now!
Inverness Raceway and Northside Downs have a great community of horsemen and women, and rallying the government in NS to help build a grandstand in North Sydney would see a big jump in the fan base. Right now the faithful weather the weather (and there was lots of bad weather last July) by toughing it out along the fence or huddling inside a building with few windows. Inverness Raceway has a well maintained cozy facility and with the new golf course and more tourists with dollars in hand, the bet should go up. Some government support there would help too.
Truro Raceway needs a makeover or a private takeover to jumpstart it again. Rumours abound about a First Nations casino and racetrack in the area. Whatever it takes to bring back the fans, change needs to take place.
Harness racing has great potential in Newfoundland as well. With a population of close to 200,000 in St. John’s, St. John’s Racing and Entertainment Centre would boom with a facility like Summerside or Charlottetown.
The one common denominator for Saint John and Truro in particular is government and Atlantic Lottery support that’s needed to help implement the Red Shores/Atlantic Lottery strategy that is working well in PEI.
Congratulations to the organizers for the Gilles Barrieau Benefit auction held in Saint John earlier this month. It was a major success, with over $16,000 pledged. Special pats on the back to Sandra Foley and Dave MacLean and the donors of the many great racing products and services. A special thanks to Vonda Campbell, who hustled all of her tickets on a Brodeur race bike and sold close to $2,000 worth of tickets for the benefit.
Barrieau has a lot of goodwill in the racing community and these dollars will help him cover his costs to have others do the work while he can’t. We hope the 10 screws and plate he’s got keeping his leg intact will set properly, and he’ll return once again to his successful driving and training career in time for the start of the 2012 season. He has begun jogging a few, so that’s encouraging.
The Stanley Cup spent several days on PEI last week. It was the second time in less than a year it has found its way to the Island. Last summer PEI native Adam MacQuaid, who was on last season’s Stanley Cup winning team – the Boston Bruins – managed to get it onto the grounds of Red Shores Charlottetown and into the hands of his relative, harness racing great Kenny Arsenault.
Hats go off to APC columnist Sugar Doyle for doing a stellar job as co-host of the O’Brien Awards this year. He, fellow columnist Greg Blanchard and Red Shores Marketing and Sales Manager Lee Drake have all co-hosted the O’Brien Awards.
Marc Campbell did PEIslanders and Atlantic Canadians proud by finishing runner-up to Hall of Famer Keith Clark for horsemanship at the O’Brien Awards. At only 27 years of age, Campbell is making major impact on the Canadian harness racing scene.
Shane Bernard has passed along the following: There will be a horsemen’s hockey tournament in Sydney, Cape Breton from February 24 – 26, 2012. It will be a six-team tourney with teams from Newfoundland, Sydney, Inverness, Truro, Charlottetown and one team from Ontario. Blair MacKenzie from Cape Breton is the organizer. Watch out world! Rumour has it that Shane Bernard is rounding into shape, and apparently was seen on CBC’s Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada last Saturday hoisting the Stanley Cup in place of doing his daily push-ups. Sounds like a fun tournament in Caper country!
Opening Day for the 2012 harness racing season is scheduled for April 1 in Truro, Nova Scotia.