Marquis Downs begins new season of racing
Fourteen jockeys — five from Jamaica, six from Trinidad and three locals — are itching to pound the oval at Marquis Downs, and they get their first chance Friday.
Horse racing season at Saskatchewan’s only live thoroughbred racetrack commences at 6:35 p.m., half an hour earlier than the usual start time.
That’s not the only change at the track.
They ’re also charging admission, for the first time since the 1990s. It costs $2 to get through the gates, or fans can purchase a new-look $5 program and get in with no additional charge. Youths aged 18 and under will still get in free.
“Basically, it was the rising costs of putting on the racing program. Something was needed for an injection of revenue,” said Rick Fior, manager of racing at the Downs.
“We talked about this long and hard over the winter, the pros and the cons. I think $2 is a pretty reasonable admission price for two and a half or three hours of entertainment.
“I’m not sure there’s anywhere else in Saskatoon that charges just $2. If you like racing, if you like to come out and watch, I think you’re still going to come. I don’t think it’ll have too much (negative) effect for us.”
The cost of programs is up by $1, from $4 last year, but Fior said they’ve put a lot of work into improving it. It’s “almost like a magazine,” he said of the 35-page publication, which will include stories and profiles along with the usual racing form.
The earlier 6:35 p.m. start time, which will be in place all season, is designed in part to attract the supper crowd while also allowing fans to get home earlier. The Saskatchewan Derby, which caps the season, runs Sept. 9.
Gates open at 5 p.m. each night, and races go every Friday and Saturday until the Sept. 9 finale, with the exception of three weekends: There’s no racing June 8-9, the July long weekend, and Aug. 11-12.
“Every year’s a new chapter in the book,” Fior said, “and everybody’s excited around here to get going.”