Following the cancellation of the King’s Plate on 17 August due to rain in the afternoon, honeysuckle CEO Michael Copeland said track management felt that rescheduling the 165th King’s Plate and four other races to August 23 (a Friday) was better than holding the event this weekend.

Not all Canadian stakeholders share this view. The Horsemen’s Benevolent Protective Association of Ontario would have preferred a Saturday date, said its executive director Steve Lym. David Anderson, chairman of the Thoroughbred Improvement Program, which supports the racing and breeding industry in Ontario, also preferred a race on the weekend.

The King’s Plate, a 1 1/4-mile race for Canadian-bred three-year-olds, is the opening event of the Canadian Triple Crown, followed by the Prince of Wales Stakes on September 10 in Fort Erie and the Breeders’ Stakes on September 29 at Woodbine.

Copeland cited betting, “the biggest revenue driver for our business,” as the main reason for the decision to move the Plate race and four other races to Friday. Copeland believes running it on Friday allows him to “dominate the day” and stand out more, rather than being overshadowed by the competitive Travers Stakes Day on August 24. Running the race on August 25 would have put it 48 hours closer to the Prince of Wales’, “without there being any compelling reasons from a racing perspective to run it on a Sunday rather than a Friday,” he added.

“We still believe Friday is going to be a big day from a viewership perspective. We think that will really drive up the attendance,” he said. “We can get a national broadcast window on Friday, which is very important. We have a new national broadcast agreement with Sportsnet here in Canada, so we can get that on Friday night. So that gives us national television exposure. So we’re really confident that we’re respecting the importance of the race.”

“It’s one of the last Fridays of summer up here, and the kids in Canada aren’t back in school yet; they’re starting back a little later. So we think a lot of people will be watching live. But more importantly, we’re getting the betting numbers from those who can’t be there in person.”

He said the rescheduling was done for the benefit of Woodbine and would not impact the existing Saturday schedules of senior staff.

Lym and Anderson expressed concern about a decline in on-site attendance and betting, and that a larger share of Woodbine’s Friday revenue would come from the United States, where they generate a smaller share of revenue.

TIP “doesn’t generate its revenue through simulcast. It’s the home market,” said Anderson, a Plate racing owner and breeder. “And when a race of this magnitude, a race day of this magnitude, is on a weekday when locals can’t come – they have to work – it’s going to put a real dent in our home market wagering. And that TIP money is the money that funds the King’s Plate award and these other Triple Crown and Triple Tiara races and our Ontario-bred and sired horse programs and our breeders’ awards.

“So as growers, we are at the mercy of Woodbine’s decisions, and that’s what frustrates us growers, because this year we’re facing cuts because of the lower home market last year, and this year we’re likely to face more cuts again because of those decisions.”

Anderson should have a starter in the Maiden race this year. Bedard who was withdrawn early last Saturday due to a timing error while taking medication. The Kevin Attard-trained Bedard will also withdraw on Friday to await the Prince of Wales on clay – a decision made after he worked quickly on the clay training track at Woodbine on August 21.

Anderson, his breeder, co-owns the gelding through X-Men Racing, the group with which he won the Plate two years ago with Moira at Madaket Stables and SF Racing. They are also partners in Bedard.

Other races are likely to see cancellations, although several big-name jockeys who were scheduled to be in town for the day are expected to return, including Kazushi Kimura, a former front-runner at Woodbine who is traveling from California to take part in the race.

Lym, who previously served as racing director at Woodbine for 32 years, said the Ontario HBPA was only consulted on the Aug. 17 cancellation, not on the new date of the race, which was announced within hours of the cancellation.

Lou Donato, a horse owner and high-profile player in Canadian horse racing, sent an email to the HBPA criticizing the rescheduling of Woodbine. Anderson circulated the email on social media.

Lym said he sympathised with the owners of King’s Plate, who might not have the same experience on Friday as last Saturday, when up to 20,000 spectators were expected.

“It’s an honor you want to enjoy,” he said. “On a Friday, I’m not sure you get the same feeling in front of an audience like that.”

A rescheduled date, whether on a weekend or weekday, would likely result in a smaller attendance without fans being able to make their long-planned visits. Copeland said there could be 5,000 spectators on Friday and seating could be as high as 8,000. Partly cloudy skies and a high of 78 degrees are forecast.

Woodbine will offer free admission and free programs to visitors on Friday, as is customary for a normal race day there.

The racetrack will also provide a full refund to individuals/groups who purchased tickets for last Saturday’s race in the Grandstand or Hats & Horseshoes. Purchasers of other experiences will receive a full or partial refund or credit. These groups will be contacted directly.

“Unfortunately, we won’t be able to meet everyone’s needs in the future, but I think we can do our best to help as many as possible by refunding tickets so they can maintain their financial footing,” Copeland said.

Regarding the holding of Plate Friday, he said he saw the scheduling as “the right thing to do under difficult circumstances” and that he believes we will come out of this really well.