NEWS
FINALLY...ADVANCED DEPOSIT WAGERING FOR MICHIGAN!
AFFILIATE
MICHIGAN HBPA
JOCKEYS AND AGENTS AT HAZEL PARK Following is a list of jockeys and agents at Hazel Park: Frank Garoufalis, agent. Represents Ricardo Barrios, Terry Houghton and Federico Mata. (813) 495-6400. Gary Terrien, agent. Represents Wayne Barnett, Angel Stanley and Javour Simpson. (248) 703-8691. Shane Biddinger, agent. Represents Alfredo Clemente and Gilberto Santiago. (734) 277-7642. Jockeys with no agent: Michael Henry, Glenmore Mayhew, Godofredo Laurente, Cesar Rodriguez, Rogelio Diaz-Romeo Jr., Brittany Vanden Berg, Kelly Spanabel and apprentice Melissa Zajac. Always feel free to contact the Hazel Park Racing Office for information and questions at (248) 398-1000, prompt 1, or the Michigan HBPA at (231) 206-4884.
Hazel Park is attracting big crowds for live racing.
Denis Blake
After a nine-year battle to allow advanced deposit wagering in Michigan, it appears (at this writing) that we are there! With the cooperation of the governor’s office staff, the Michigan HBPA and the Legislature, an amendment to Public Act 504 (the Michigan Horse Racing Act) has been introduced in Lansing to allow immediate implementation of ADW. It is anticipated that this provision will be in effect by the beginning of June 2017. For many years, Michigan remained almost alone as a state that offered live Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing without an ADW platform for horse racing fans. With the significant growth in online, mobile and telephone wagering throughout the country, Michigan will now be able to somewhat level the playing field. There’s a Thoroughbred racing renaissance in Michigan. In 1933, and for many decades, Thoroughbred racing in Detroit was one of the standards for racing in the country. With the passage of the new Michigan Racing Act in 2016, ADW in 2017, the formation of the Michigan Horse Racing Commission and a renewed interest in breeding, Michigan will continue to fight our way back to racing respectability. Hazel Park Raceway continues to be a most welcoming place for Midwest horsemen. You’ll find a helpful and supportive staff in the racing office, in the barn areas and in the Michigan HBPA office. With a Friday and Saturday night post time at 7:20 p.m., Hazel Park features nine races for Thoroughbreds and American Quarter Horses each evening. We often see owners and trainers bringing their families for a weekend of racing in the “New Detroit.” Although Hazel Park is not fueled by slot machine revenues, you will find the stands filled with 4,000 to 7,000 fans, all there for the races. That’s certainly something you don’t typically see at most other racetracks. Pure Michigan Horse Racing!
MINNESOTA HBPA NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR I recently became executive director of the Minnesota HBPA, based at Canterbury Park, a model for other tracks, large and small. Before joining the MNHBPA, I had formulated and overseen marketing programs for over two decades at tracks such as Arlington Park, Calder Race Course, Hialeah and Gulfstream. This experience is why I have great respect and admiration for Canterbury’s marketing efforts. Their management has a holistic approach to the sport. They realize everything they do, from maintaining the grounds to social media to the beer being cold, is marketing. Best of all, they have a genuine love for the game and an energy to ceaselessly craft innovative and attractive events and amenities and match it with superb customer service. There is a reason there’s such a term as Minnesota-friendly. The results of Canterbury’s efforts are an abundance of young fans and very strong paid attendance. Imagine that … people paying to see racing! The folks at Canterbury know if you put on a great show in an attractive and comfortable facility the price point for admission ($7 and $9 general admission) is downright cheap compared to any other sport or form of entertainment. This sensibility doesn’t stop with the frontside. Rather, its foundation is the backstretch. Years and years before I arrived, horsemen and management forged a respectful and trusting partnership. They had to if racing was to survive, in the right way, in Minnesota. They understood that then, and they understand it now. A few years ago, horsemen and management were on the same page in attaining a multiyear agreement with a Native American casino group that effectively doubled purse money and promoted racing to a new market. And today, horsemen and management have launched a multipronged campaign for legislation that will keep Canterbury open should the government shut down. Frankly, this legislation is for nothing less than survival. Both parties get that. But it’s not just the highly publicized issues that matter. Consistent and open meetings and dialog between horsemen and numerous department heads address issues before they elevate to crisis level. This doesn’t mean there is perfection. As we all know, there is a plethora of moving parts at a racetrack. But when you talk with and get a perspective from each other, problems can be solved and good ideas found. One such good, if not great, idea reopens this month in the backstretch administration building: the dental clinic. Equipped with X-ray machines and two dental chairs, it brings the vastly underrated health benefits of dental care WWW.HBPA.ORG
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