Century Downs horse racing a big boost for the industry

It was abig weekend for Alberta horse racing asCentury Downs in Balzac held its first major stakes standardbred horse races.

• Century Downs casino opens, horse racing set to begin this month

The plans for a new horse racing track were first announced back in 2004, but it took more than a decade for the new track to be completed making it difficult for many in the industry.

"It's a shot of adrenaline, is what it is," saidFredGillis, executive director of the Alberta Standardbred Horse Association.

"Imean we've been waiting for 10 years for this to come to fruition.Now it's happening, we're racing [and]everybodyis excited.Ithink our yearling salelast year, we hold it once a year, was up 150 per cent."

There are still more additions to come at Century Downs, including more barns,bigger grandstands and thoroughbred races.