The Saskatchewan Party often talks about moving government in a direction which smoothes things on a provincial level to help individuals get on with their business with as few roadblocks as possible.However, that philosophy apparently doesn't apply to those involved in the standardbred race industry.Horse racing in the province, at least that where the public is allowed to wager on the outcome, is governed by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority.
The Authority is also responsible for issuing government grants to race venues which in large part fund racing and make them viable for venues -- there are currently two tracks in Saskatchewan -- to host races.
However, the government is ridiculously slow in confirming how many race days they will approve in a given year, or if, and how many dollars will be allocated to racing.
Apparently the government has little understanding of the business side of standardbred races for owners and trainers.
It is now the third week of February, and the government has yet to announce race days and grants, even though venues such as the Yorkton Exhibition Association made its application back in the fall of 2010.
The local Association has been hosting races for several years, and is hoping to see expanded days of racing in 2011. However as the provincial announcement drags on, the YEA is left with something of a conundrum.
If additional days are granted, and more money allocated, the number of horses and horsemen coming to Yorkton would grow. That could mean a need for more stabling area. However, the YEA can't spend money on such barn space expansion merely on the hope for an expanded meet.
Then there is the plight of the horse owner.
A horse's value is based on how many races it may pace in a year, and what the purses in those races are, since that generates the potential earnings for the horse.
The more races, and the larger the purses, the more an owner can justify in purchasing a horse.
How does an owner make that business decision regarding racing in Saskatchewan when the number race days, what tracks the races may be at, and how big the purses will be is unknown because of government bureaucracy.
Some might suggest races are still some months away, so there is time for owners. That is only partially true. Like any athlete race horses require training time before hitting the track. In many cases they are already beginning that training process, and the longer the announcement is withheld, the shorter the window to train.
What makes no sense is why the government drags out the annual announcement.
In the case of Yorkton they have allocated the same number of days and money for a number of years. It would seem to be good business sense to make approvals which covered three-to-five year spans, allowing race venues and owners to do some long term business planning rather than being forced to last minute decisions.
The suggestion the limited dollars the government puts into racing needs to be part of the annual provincial budget doesn't hold since other provincial grants are offered on more than a year-to-year basis. In terms of the business of racing for owners and venues the provincial government needs to revise its approach to supporting the industry, because the current process is a barrier to good decisions by those who actually work in the sector.
