Wager was up at both P.E.I. tracks

Harness racing at Red Shores in Summerside and Charlottetown saw significant gains across the board in 2019.

The live wager saw a 10 per cent increase in 2019 compared to 2018 with $392,236 in new wagering dollars for a total $4.28 million in all sources wager. The 2019 increases were thanks to bumps in on-track wager as well as a 15 per cent increase from 2018 in the offtrack wager.

When the wager increases, the percentage to the purse pool also increases.

Racing experience manager Adam Walsh pointed to the hard-working individuals in the racing community for making 2019 a banner year with 100 race dates.

Lee Drake, manager of marketing and brands, said guest experience is the No. 1 focus at Red Shores and a key reason the business continues to grow in every facet.

“We work hard on getting new people to our properties through strong partnerships and relationships in tourism, meetings and conventions and the corporate community,” Drake said.

“We have beautiful clean properties with a professional staff and it’s all about the experience whether it’s racing, dining or the casino,” he added. “We have really stepped up our social media presence which also drives new business as well.”

Red Shores’ two signature events also saw gains in 2019 with the Gold Cup and Saucer program pulling in $307,134 from all wagering sources, putting that handle second all-time in Island racing to the Gold Cup and Saucer card in 1994.

The 2019 Governor’s Plate card was the second-highest grossing program in the history of the Summerside Raceway with $96,651 wagered on the card, narrowly putting it behind the $99,994 record handle of 1996.

Walsh said the difference in outside competition from those record wagers in the 1990s to today’s climate should not be overlooked.

“There is quite a difference in the landscape today compared to 10 or 25 years ago, but we are focused on growing those numbers,” he said.

The Red Shores race day broadcast network had 2.6 million viewers, including 1.9 million in Atlantic Canada.

The 2020 winter racing season is coming to a close at Red Shores in the coming weeks, but the action will be back at the Charlottetown track on Saturday, May 2, for the summer racing meet with the Kentucky Derby theme. Governor’s Plate week is July 5-11 while Old Home Week is Aug. 13-22 featuring The Guardian Gold Cup & Saucer.

Red Shores is owned by Atlantic Lottery.