Published:
October 10, 2009 03:48 pm EDT
It's all over at Hippodrome Aylmer. In a brief note on its website, Quebec racetrack operator Attractions Hippiques said Friday was the last day
for parimutuel bets at the track, which it has agreed to sell to a real-estate developer.
Cashiers will be on-site today and Sunday to process unredeemed tickets.
There's been no live racing this year at Hippodrome Aylmer, one of four tracks managed by Attractions HIppiques, which has been in creditor protection since June of 2008.
(Trot Insider exclusive by Paul Delean)
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What a SHAME I hope this is
What a SHAME
I hope this is not all over, where is the savior? We have been hearing it for over a year now that Aylmer will be closing it's doors for good but I was always waiting for the day that the doors opened up again for some good Saturday afternoon racing.
I've been going to the Aylmer track ever since I was a small child with my father and our family has owned, trained, drove many horses at the 1/2 mile track. I'm sure that all the good times growing up with dad at the track inspired me to purchase my own horses and have fun with this buisness. It really is a shame that Aylmer will be forever gone. I guess I will bring my daughter to RC to watch this great sport.
A shame that the gov had to go screw something like this up but then again maybe there will be somebody somewhere that can bring live racing back to Aylmer, if you are out there get off your rear end and do something before it really is to late.
This was a track that was
This was a track that was packed to the gills on live race days, clubhouse and parking lot full. 96 years of history obliterated, as are the livelihoods of everyone there, backstretch and employees. Many luminaries in our sport started out here, Hervé Filion and his brothers (Henri dieing after a wreck here back in '97) the most notable. Took just a few years for the whole game to be wiped out here in Quebec. Who's next? I'll take a drive down before the wrecking ball hits, sit in the parking lot, maybe have a drink or two with the memories.
Thank you Quebec government
Thank you Quebec government for ruining a great industry. It's funny that the rest of the country has been able to survive the recession and handle the reduction in betting on the horses yet Quebec does the opposite and refuses to give the 23% for the video lottery machines it gives to most business to the owner of Attraction Hippiques. American owners of 5 thorough racetracks wanted to buy the Quebec track a few years ago but the Quebec government refused to budge and thought they would be better at running the industry. Instead they run the industry right into the ground. Pathetic. At least in this area we are only a 20 minute drive to Rideau Carelton Raceway so that's not so bad. At least they do it right in attracting the crowds and using slot revenues to pay the purses for racing.
i guess the deal that was
i guess the deal that was not approved by some people who thought maybe they had more power and were stronger than they really were might not be such a bad one to have now,
to late now,
no more aylmer and soon no more Trois-Rivieres,....
racing our 3,4,5000 claimers for 3,4,$5000 would not be to bad now,
not sure if ever racing does come back somewhere in Quebec how much they think they will be racing for !!!!!
never know, maybe the people that thought they were so strong and so powerfull and go up against the Senator and the Gov't have another great idea as plan "C",....
for now since the plan was refused it's been nothing but a bulldozer doing his job in a field and all our stong and powerfull people can do is sit back and watch it do it's work........and of course keep trying to convince themselves and people around that it was the right decision that they took....
must agree maybe the deal was not the best but at least it meant racing at all 3 small quebec track for 15 years where as now,.......we all know what refusing it is doing for us !!!