Aseason without spectators wraps up at Fort Erie Race Track
Arecord $40.2 million was wagered on thoroughbreds this year
Skye Chernetz joined fellow jockey Howard Newell as answers to trivia questions when Tale of Vienna led Seal Team Two and Be the Change across the finish line in Tuesday’s 10th race at Fort Erie Race Track.
Tale of Vienna, with Chernetz in the saddle, needed 1:11.17 to pace a field of 11 six furlongs in the dirt in the thoroughbred track’s final race of the season, one featuring a $15,435 purse for three-year-olds and older.
The win on a fast track bookended Newell’s victory aboard Written on June 2 in the first race on a calendar that was held entirely without spectators in the grandstand or betting at the track.
Until owners were allowed to watch their horses under Stage 3 of the Ontario government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy, only personnel essential to racing and the care and well-being of the horses were allowed at the track on race days.
Fort Erie was able to complete a 39-race calendar, running Monday and Tuesday afternoons each week, despite the impact of COVID-19 and the challenges the pandemic presented.
“This season, we had a backstretch community with close to 500 essential horsepeople, and more than 100 active staff members, and we were able to complete our meet safely and without any positive COVID-19 cases,” said Tom Valiquette, chief operating and financial officer of Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium. “It was crucial that we were able to operate this season, and I want to thank all of our community members for working together safely and following our COVID-19 protocols.
“Through the efforts of every one of our team members, we were able to put on another successful season during one of the most challenging years in our history.”
Fans were able to follow the action in high-definition livestreams. Wagering was also available online as the horse racing industry in the province adjusted to restrictions to contain the spread of the virus.
Traditionally, upward of 80 per cent of revenue at the Fort Erie track has come from wagering, with most of those bets made off-site.
Wagering during the track’s 123rd season was up by 40 per cent on a per race basis, and the stage for that was set on opening day. More than $2,093,000 was wagered on an eight-race card Tuesday, June 2, a 70 per cent increase over 2019 and the consortium’s second-best wagering day since taking over operation of the track.
Only the $2.188-million bet on a nine-race program highlighted by the Prince of Wales Stakes in 2016 attracted more interest from bettors.
Fort Erie enjoyed a record year in terms of betting. In 2020, a total of $40.2 million was wagered over 39 days, up from the $29.9 million last year over 40 race days.
This year’s calendar featured 15 days on which more than $1 million was wagered.
“That’s been very strong for us. Our product is more popular out there than it was before,” Valiquette said.
“We’ve done well that way,” he added.
Overall, horse counts were also up this year, by “about 10 per cent.”
“We expected to actually be up a little more than that but, with the border closed, that certainly affected the movement of horsepeople back and forth.”
Valiquette feared the winter could be hard for a lot of horsepeople in Canada who would normally go south to race.
“They’re going to be really restricted in what they can do. It’s nice and safe up here — they know they’ve been safe — but, having said that, they want to keep their horses,” he said.
“Going south gives them an opportunity to make money over the winter, too,” he added.
“It’s going to be challenging for them without a doubt.”
Valiquette hopes Fort Erie will be able to welcome back spectators as well as employees whose jobs were affected by COVID-19 for the start of the 2021 season in late May.
“I hope so, but your guess is as good as mine.”
Closing the track to spectators this season affected 60 to 70 jobs, mostly in food and beverage, parimutuel wagering as well as a couple in housekeeping.
“It would be nice to get all those people back,” Valiquette said.
Valiquette feared the winter could be hard for a lot of horsepeople in Canada who would normally go south to race. “They’re going to be really restricted in what they can do.”