My betting strategy in the horse race at Woodbine racetrack in Toronto

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On Weds June 25th, 2008 there was live thoroughbred racing at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto Ontario. Because of an ongoing labor dispute between the casino security workers and the Ontario Lotteries and Gaming Commission, which has established a picket line at the gate, the evening was very poorly attended.

My group sat together quietly making bets and perusing the menu in the final minutes before the first race. At 6:30 pm we had hurried upstairs to the popular Champions patio desperate to get what we assumed would be the last available outdoor seating... only to discover the well appointed patio completely deserted.

Lately I've been reading the racing programs in minute detail and then going even deeper into the lore and litany of the racing scene in Ontario. I keep up to date with the entire Canadian horse racing community and its participants by reading almost daily posts on Thoroughblog – or subscribe through the RSS feed.

THOROUGHBLOG had 150,000+ PAGE VIEWS and 90,000+ UNIQUE PAGE VIEWS in 2015! Owners, trainers, sports people and racing fans all gather here to get the inside scoop. Be part of the action and advertise, very reasonable rates are available on request. After - I've developed this sport's perfect betting strategy.

Of course I was disappointed to find the racetrack deserted. After interacting with the strange cast of mentors on the strategy simulations . Horse racing in Ontario - I was looking forward to meeting some of the real characters who usually frequent the racetrack.

I act sophisticated at the track; I've evolved a rather sexy signature bet.

I pick a good horse (good odds) with an average jockey (good win rate) then i pick a slower horse (weaker odds) with a great jockey (very high win rate). Let's call these horses #1 and #2.
When I stand at the betting window I say, '...one dollar exactor box bet, horse #1 and #2'. This means that it doesn't matter which horse comes in first or second (its essentially two bets) and because its a $1 bet I only pay $2.00 total. The value here is the exactor combination is always difficult to win and therefore pays large $$. The $1 box bet exactor is a cheap ticket to a big payout.

The Ontario Harness Horse Association was formed on the first day of February 1961 to represent Ontario harness horsemen and horsewomen in negotiations of purses, racing conditions. They handle all matters affecting the racing industry with the tracks, Standardbred Canada, the Ontario Racing Commission, and the Provincial and Federal governments.

I absolutely love this History of Fort Erie racetrack website. The pictures are priceless glimpses back into the early history of the sport in Ontario in 1897. Some of the biggest races were run in Fort Erie, which benefits from being so close to the USA, and the tourist mecca of Niagara Falls.

Harness Racing is the third largest agricultural sector in Ontario, in terms of expenditure. This agriculture based industry helps to increase and diversify tourism. Horse racing generates well over $1 billion dollars annually. On a per dollar basis, every dollar of expenditure in this industry results in $1.22 in wages, interest, rent and profits. Ontario's horse racing industry directly generates over 17,000 jobs, many of which are in rural areas.

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