Success of hometown hero Mario Gutierrez puts Hastings track back in the running

For Vancouver's storied Hastings Racecourse, the best of years are long gone, consigned to an era when horse racing was king and the only legal gambling in town.

All things considered, however, the past season, which concluded Sunday, was still a very good year for the century-old track. It may have a future, after all.

At a time when horse-racing courses across North America are either closing or in decline, both attendance and betting were up over last year, the weather was spectacular and Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, which operates Hastings, signed a two-year extension of its lease agreement with the city.

There was also the unexpected Mario factor.

The storybook Triple Crown riding success of young Mexican jockey Mario Gutierrez, who had made Hastings his home base for several years, brought a buzz to the track that hadn't been felt since its glory days of long ago.

Thousands flocked to Hastings to watch on giant video screens, as Mr. Gutierrez rode his marvellous mount I'll Have Another to victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, with the horse's Belmont bid faltering only because of a heartbreaking, late scratch.

There were more large crowds when the hometown hero, by now a North American celebrity, returned to the track several times during the summer to ride for owner Glen Todd. In fact, Mr. Gutierrez was aboard Glenco Kid, the winning horse Sunday in the final stakes race of the season at Hastings.

"Not many tracks can say their attendance and their handle is up, year over year," said Great Canadian Gaming vice-president Howard Blank. "So it's certainly a bright sign for us, considering the declines we've seen in the past. It's a nice glimmer of hope."

Mr. Blank said the track worked hard to capitalize on Mr. Gutierrez's fame. "It certainly put our little track on the map. People wanted to come to see him, and where he was from. But once they got here, I think we won a lot of them over. That's the hard part, getting people through the doors in the first place."

The hardened chaps on the backstretch are a little less boosterish, however.

"People are fighting to survive, and it doesn't seem to matter how much money there is. It's the same everywhere, not just here," said long-time trainer Dino Condilenios. "There's this racetrack mentality, a lot of negative people."

And expenses are high for local horse owners, Mr. Condilenios added. "Shoeing, feed, vets are all cheaper everywhere else. It's pretty pricey here."

Still, the 41-year old trainer, who has been running horses at Hastings for 20 years, allowed himself a rare bit of optimism.

"It's never going to be what it was in the past, but the crowds are definitely on a comeback, and it's a younger crowd, too," Mr. Condilenios said.

"It's a fun place to go. It's free to get in. So if you only bet $2 on every race, and buy a couple of beers, that's a pretty good day's entertainment for 50 bucks."