Clear the track — wiener dogs are back
Leonard loves to run.
And he was pretty quick on his feet, er, paws for a two-year-old as he tested out the dirt at Fort Erie Race Track Monday.
Did we mention Leonard is a dachshund?
He, along with owner Helen Vanek, will be one of 72 canines taking to the track Sunday as the border oval plays host to its second annual Wiener Dog Race.
“He did it last year,” Vanek said between sprints down the track. “He loves to run.”
Finishing the race, however, proved to be a problem in his first attempt.
“He didn’t finish,” Vanek said with a chuckle, as Leonard took advantage of a break in training to get a drink of water. “He’s been doing some training, and hopefully he gets a better break this year.”
And Vanek knows a little bit
about getting a good break. As a jockey, she regularly rides at the border oval. So far in 2019, she has started 84 races and has racked up 21 first-place finishes.
So, what will she be doing to coax Leonard?
“I might have to put blinkers on him,” she said with a smile. “I’ll have a friend with me who’ll hold him in the starting gate. Dogs love running to their owner. I’ll also have a squeaky (toy) with me.”
Likewise, fellow jockey Melanie Pinto will be looking to coax the same kind of effort out of her longhaired dachshund, Joey.
“He was confused,” she said of the 10-year-old canine of last year’s inaugural event. “It was funny.”
And like Vanek, Pinto, who has won 24 of her 85 starts this season, is considering blinkers to help her pup.
This year’s race takes place on Sunday, starting at the end of the horse racing card, at about 4 p.m.
Last year’s race was won by a three-year-old named Willis, owned by Erika Smilovski of Milton.
“Last year was a lot of fun,” said Antonietta Culic, media and marketing relations manager for the track.
She admitted that she was surprised at the large amount of interest in last year’s races — attendance at the track that day was 8,000 — so this year, more prep work has gone into the event.
“We have seven or eight food trucks lined up,” she said.
There will be six qualifying heats for the event — a 25-metre course in heats featuring 12 dogs. The top two of each heat qualify for the final. In addition, there will be a bonus race, with a 10-dog field featuring various small breeds.
“We will have two tracks set up, so people at either end of the grandstand will be able to get a good view,” Culic said.
All dogs participating in the event receive a goodie bag courtesy of event sponsor Pet Food Outlet in Welland, including samples of dog foods and treats, and a tennis ball among other things. Dave McMahon of Dave McMahon Dog Training Academy will present trophies to the winners.
Although the wiener dogs will be in the spotlight Sunday, the track will feature basset-hound races on Sept. 15. Registration is open at www.forterieracing.com.
Admission and parking for Sunday’s event are free. No dogs, other than service animals and those of participants, are allowed at the track.