TORONTO — Woodbine Entertainment is adding a lot more spice to the Canadian Triple Crown.
Woodbine announced a $500,000 bonus will be awarded to the connections of a horse winning the Canadian Triple Crown, effective immediately. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation returns as the official Triple Crown partner/title sponsor and is offering the bonus.
"We're working in conjunction with OLG to bring more focus and attention to the sport and help build excitement around it," said Jim Lawson, the chief executive officer of Woodbine Entertainment. "It's about building more of a buzz around it.
"I think it's important to build more excitement around the sport."
Added Adriana Spatzner, OLG's director of product development and marketing: "As longtime supporters of Ontario’s horse racing industry, OLG knows how strong the competition for this prize will be. We have upped the ante on the OLG Canadian Triple Crown this year and look forward to watching excitement build around this new bonus."
Only 12 horses have captured the Canadian Triple Crown, the last being Wando in 2003. The Triple Crown is a very solid test for hoses as the three races — the Queen's Plate, Prince of Wales Stakes and Breeders' Stakes — are not only run at varying distances but also on different surfaces.
The 1 1/4-mile Plate, slated for June 29 at Woodbine, is run on a synthetic track while the 1 3/16-mile Prince of Wales (July 23 at Fort Erie Racetrack) does on dirt. The Breeders' (Aug. 17) is not only the Triple Crown's longest race at 1 1/2 miles, but goes on Woodbine's E.P. Taylor turf circuit.
Thirty years ago, Woodbine and the Bank of Montreal offered a $1-million bonus to the connections of a horse winning the Triple Crown. But after it was awarded three straight years — With Approval (’89), Izvestia (’90) and Dance Smartly (’91) — the seven-figure bonus ceased.
However, the handlers for Peteski (1993) and Wando did earn an additional $500,000 stipend established by Woodbine and thoroughbred breeders for their Triple Crown runs.
Filly Wonder Gadot certainly created a Triple Crown buzz last year after winning both the Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales. However, the horse's handlers bypassed the Breeder's to race against the boys in the Grade 1 US$1.25-million Travers Stakes at Saratoga.
Trainer Mark Casse — who won this year's Preakness with War of Will and has been named Canada's top conditioner 10 times — said even the presence of a seven-figure bonus wouldn't have swayed Wonder Gadot’s handlers.
That's because the primary goal last year was to have Wonder Gadot run in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. The handlers decided that there was little value in having the filly named after Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot race in the Breeders’ Stakes.
"I'm sorry, I feel bad," Casse said. "I hate to let the Canadian fans down but really for her it just makes more sense to go this route.
"I have to look at what's best for her and also what’s best for (owner) Gary Barber. That's my job and this just makes more sense.”
It was a fact not lost upon Lawson.
"I understand exactly why Mark and Mr. Barber did it," Lawson said. "Hopefully we don't find ourselves with a horse in that somewhat unusual situation again but we could.
"Like I said, it's more about creating some buzz around Canada's Triple Crown."
Wonder Gadot, Canada's 2018 horse of the year, was retired Wednesday. The four-year-old Ontario-bred won five-of-18 career races while earning over $1.5 million.
Trainer Roger Attfield, who's tied with Harry Giddings Jr. for most career Plate wins (eight), is a big supporter of the Triple Crown bonus. That shouldn't be a surprise given Attfield twice cashed the $1-million bonus (With Approval and Izvestia) as well as a $500,000 stipend with Peteski.
"I think it's a wonderful idea," said Attfield, a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. "I was fortunate enough to win it when it was $1-million a couple of times so I felt it was a very good idea.
"But I think it's a very good thing for the ownership base and everything else to do with racing."
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
