Shaun MacIsaac, President of the Atlantic Standardbred Breeders Association, today announced that the Charlottetown Driving Park has been selected as the host track for the 2002 Atlantic Breeders Crown, which will be held in early October.
The Atlantic Breeders Crown is the championship finals for various Atlantic Sires divisions, which compete across the Maritimes at each racetrack to compile points for eligibility to the Final. Charlottetown was the host track for the 2001 event, which drew record attendance and wagering figures for the various events.
"As an association, we were very pleased with the quality of the bids we received for staging the 2002 events," stated Mr. MacIsaac. "Each bid was evaluated on a criteria that had been established before the offers were sent to the Maritime tracks." The bid criteria asked the submitting tracks for their commitment on several factors, including contribution to purses, staging of an awards banquet and other associated events, sponsor commitment, and marketing plans for the event on a local and regional basis.
The 2001 event in Charlottetown featured the championship pacing finals, trotting division invitations, pacing consolations, invitational and open mares races, legends driving showcase, memory lane display, awards banquet at the Delta Prince Edward, golf tournament, pancake breakfast, a welcome reception hosted by the City of Charlottetown, and special presentations to six Maritime families for their long-time contribution to the industry.
"As an association, were are committed to seeing the Atlantic Breeders Crown continue to develop into a major Maritime event," said Mr. MacIsaac. "We feel that this event can become the marketing showcase for the quality of Maritime bred horses and a fun time for Maritimers. That's why we were very pleased to see an aggressive plan for promoting the event in the Maritimes and across Canada, as well as the strong support from the provincial and municipal governments and the local Chamber of Commerce."