by Dr. Sport Greg Douglas
ORCA
April 2, 2022
Dr. Sport: Few have contributed more to a sport than Glen Todd did for thoroughbred horse racing.
As if the thoroughbred horse racing industry in British Columbia isn’t facing enough problems trying to survive, it was hit with another crushing blow last weekend with news of Glen Todd’s passing.
Todd, 75, meant so much to so many at Hastings Racecourse in what is passionately referred to as the Sport of Kings.
There was nothing the man wouldn’t do to keep the racing industry alive in Vancouver.
He was a breeder, owner, trainer and, midway through last season, a financier with his $1 million interest-free loan to fund purses when pleas to the provincial government for emergency funding fell upon deaf ears.
Without Todd’s stunning financial gesture, Vancouver’s longest continuously active professional sports facility would have shut down in mid-August, 2021.
Read More HERE
As heartfelt as it was informative, I enjoyed every word, Greg. And, speaking as an old railbird much like yourself, Hastings may never recover from the loss of Glen. Unfortunately, the new financial reality draws a direct correlation between healthy slot revenues and a viable racing season. With Hastings repeatedly falling far short of the former, the latter is in great peril. Loans, grants, and deferments aren’t the answer…only the development of a cohesive, integrated racing strategy can save horse racing in the Lower Mainland. In short, the consolidation of standardbred and thoroughbreds under one roof; a single one-mile oval. It was Glen’s goal. Can we make it happen before it’s too late?