New Infield Video Boards to Greet Woodbine Patrons

Woodbine Race Course will introduce to its patrons two, new hi-tech infield display boards on Saturday when the track launches its live Thoroughbred meet.

Each board is a 24-foot by 32-foot high resolution, full-color LED video screen. One will provide constant video of the races and the other will provide wagering information. The two boards, bought for about $2.8 million from a Toronto company named Displayvision, replaced the old tote board that was torn down.

Woodbine experimented with a smaller 17 by 22 temporary screen last year during the week before the Queen's Plate Stakes. The track invested in the two new infield boards because the temporary one was so well received.

As of March 19, the horse population on Woodbine's backstretch was over 1,700. It is estimated that by opening day that total will exceed 1,800. Woodbine's total capacity is just over 2,000 horses, a figure likely to be met during the spring.

Track officials are predicting an increase in field size for the meet based on an increase in the number of horses working on the main track and training track during February and the first few weeks of this month.

"We have had approximately 1,400 more workers this year than at this time last season," said Lym. "After adjusting for the fact that we've had nine additional days of training in 2002, there have been roughly 900 more timed works this year than last."

On the first two days of the meet, 191 horses have been entered to run.