Racetrack may not survive without more race dates

The general manager of Kawartha Downs says the racetrack will lose virtually all its revenues when its slot machines move to the new casino that’s under construction in Peterborough.

Orazio Valente now says lost revenue will likely be greater than 85 per cent, an estimate he made earlier this year.

“It’s probably in the 90s, when you look at it,” he said Wednesday.

Valente was speaking at a Peterborough County council meeting; he was asking councillors to lobby for 40 race nights in 2018, instead of 18 (which have already been allotted).

Council agreed to send a letter to the Ontario Racing Association as well as to key cabinet ministers, such as Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Jeff Leal, to push for 40 race nights.

Ontario Racing decides how many race cards each track is allowed; when Kawartha Downs applied for 40 recently, it was turned down by the association.

Valente told councillors he doesn’t know how the racetrack will survive unless it gets 40 race nights. He said he doesn’t see any other option but to boost the number of races as a way of saving the business.

“Eighteen races won’t solve the problem, plainly put,” he said.

Scott McFadden, the mayor of Cavan Monaghan Township, said it’s unfair that other racetracks – such as the one in Fort Erie – get 40 race nights per season.

Some tracks in Ontario are allotted so many race nights they can’t organize them fast enough, he said, yet Kawartha Downs is left to wither.

“Clearly there’s an unfairness in the allocation of dates,” McFadden said.

But Karl Moher, the deputy mayor of Douro Dummer Township, wanted to take a “more diplomatic” approach than sending a letter demanding more race nights.

He suggested arranging a meeting between officials from Ontario Racing, the warden and others. Never mind sending a sternlyworded letter, he said.

“You’ll just get a ‘thanks very much – we’ll consider it,’” he said.

McFadden said he’d agree to arranging such a meeting – but he wanted to send a letter, in addition.

In the end council voted in favour of the plan to lobby Ontario Racing and provincial politicians through a letter; only Moher voted against it.