by Paul Ramlow, USTA Internet News Manager

Columbus, OH — Woodbine Entertainment Group has asked the Ontario Racing Commission to approve a four-month pilot project in which each horse that finishes out of the top five in a race at Woodbine would earn C$300.

According to a story on www.GuelphMercury.com, Bruce Murray, Woodbine Entertainment Group’s vice-president of Standardbred racing, said WEG’s goal in proposing the pilot project is to encourage more people to race horses at Woodbine, thus leading to fuller race fields that are more attractive to bettors.

According to the story, the money to pay every horse that finishes out of the top five during the project is projected to be about C$1 million. That money would come out of the Woodbine Entertainment Group purse pools, but current purse levels would not have to be adjusted due to money left over in the purse pool from 2010.

Even though each horse in a race would get a check, the money for the horses that finish out of the top five would not be added to the horse’s official earnings record.

To read the complete story, click here.