Woodbine urged to relax horse-racing rule
Ontario is pushing Woodbine Racetrack to ease rules limiting the number of horses stabled there from competing elsewhere, putting the future of Fort Erie’s track in jeopardy, says Finance Minister Charles Sousa.
“We’re disappointed that Woodbine has taken the stand that they have, recognizing the implication it would have on Fort Erie,” Sousa said on the way into a cabinet meeting Wednesday.
“There are only two tracks that do thoroughbred racing.” The comments came after New Democrat MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls) held a news conference accusing Woodbine of a “direct attack” aimed at putting Fort Erie’s track out of business.
Opening day this year saw the num- ber of horses racing at Fort Erie reduced to 15, one-third of last year’s participation, dramatically limiting the money taken in from wagering, Gates added. Other races have fewer horses as well.
Woodbine Entertainment changed its rules in May, saying horses stabled there could only race at other tracks once a season unless the race had a purse of more than $20,000. That has since been relaxed to permit two visits to other tracks.
Woodbine officials did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Sousa said he will be in Fort Erie on Thursday to meet with a local business group and visit the track.
Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop said the track needs “a level playing field” with Woodbine.
Sousa acknowledged that Woodbine, which stables horses yearround while Fort Erie does not, has already made a compromise with its rules, but said that was not enough to fix the horse shortage at the Niagara track.
“We need to do something more effective going forward,” Sousa told reporters, noting that the province provides $100 million a year in support to the horse-racing industry, helping breeders provide horses and subsidizing purses at Woodbine and purses and operating costs at Fort Erie.
Woodbine gets the “lion’s share” of the funding, because of its size and scope, he added.
“We want to be fair to the rest of the industry. We want to help Fort Erie, because it’s an attraction to the community and it has economic benefit.”