Every year, the CA$1 million The Queen’s Plate is a reason for massive excitement among horse racing enthusiasts, trainers, jockeys, and horse owners in Ontario and Canada as a whole. Woodbine Entertainment reports that this year’s edition which was the 162nd installment of Canada’s most prestigious race has gathered the second-largest volume of wagering in its history.
This year’s The Queen’s Plate has been of huge importance to the fans and the industry, as for the first time since 2019 fans were allowed to watch the event live at the track. This was due to the unprecedented situation making it impossible for fans to attend live racing events for quite some time. But now the industry is recovering well.
One for the History Books
For the first time in two years, spectators were back at Etobicoke’s Woodbine Racetrack last Sunday, for the prestigious The Queen’s Plate with CA$ 1million in purses. However, despite the lift of some restrictions fans and the company still have to comply with several others. Such as according to Stage 3 of the reopening plan, the track can operate at half of its maximum visitor capacity.
Woodbine Entertainment shared that all tickets for the event were sold out during Sunday’s live harness racing event. The company stated that last Sunday’s 13-race card has managed to generate over CA$16.1 million in wagering handle. This is the second-largest amount in the history of the event, as only in 2019 it generated more with CA$18 million.
Out of the CA$16.1 in total wagering volume, over CA$3.5 has been accumulated by The Queen’s Plate, which was won by the debuting at the event Safe Conduct. The betting activity this summer is 11% higher than last year’s when fans were able to generate over CA$14.5 million in betting volume. Racing will now continue from Thursday afternoon, and it will follow its Thursday to Sunday schedule.
CEO of the company, Jim Lawson, said that this installment of The Queen’s Plate was able to revitalize the horse racing industry to its full force, as it had an outstanding crowd and exciting racing. On behalf of the horse racing leader, Mr. Lawson thanked the team, the partners, the horse racing community, and horsepeople for being part of the historic event.
Celebrity Ambassadors
The Queen’s Plate 162nd edition has also featured a couple of guest stars invited as celebrity ambassadors by the horse racing company. Swimming medalists Penny Oleksiak and Kayla Sanchez are this year’s ambassadors, which is the company’s way of showing its gratitude toward the athletes that represent the country. The event’s breakfast was also hosted by Jason Partuondo.
Additional Revenue
Last week, Mr. Lawson revealed that the company is now considering on-site sportsbooks and one-stop shopping for sports wagerers. The CEO explained that the company must look for ways to expand in the growing Canadian gaming market and look for new ways of providing revenue. He also shared his thoughts on big-name sportsbooks entering the market, and even considers partnering with such as a way of promoting the sport.
Source: Nelson, Norm “Queen’s Plate wagering was 2nd highest ever”, The Star, August 25, 2021
