Kawartha Downs’ 2015 harness racing season will begin Saturday, May 30. Approval has been received from the Ontario Racing Commission for the five-eighths mile facilty to host the same number of race dates as last season, 18.

That schedule would see racing at Kawartha Downs every Saturday night, with a 7:00 p.m. post time with the last date as October 3. The track now is in the process of applying for additional race dates at the end of their season. There will be no racing on Saturday, September 19 for a NASCAR event.

“We are applying for additional race dates to complement this schedule. If we’re successful those would be added in October,” explained Greg Walling of Sullivan Group in Lindsay, Ont., who brokered the deal to bring racing back to the Kawarthas last season and remains the liaison between track management and the Ontario government.

Walling, along with track owner Harvey ‘Skip’ Ambrose and Trevor McCagherty, will comprise the operating board for Kawartha Downs for the 2015 season. Ian Fleming will remain as race secretary while Heather MacKay and Jim Huck will return to manage the racing operations.

“We enjoyed a great season in 2014 and look forward to welcoming our fans, staff and horse people and new patrons to Kawartha Downs for this coming season,” noted Ambrose.

The same purse structure as last season will be in place for 2015 with three signature nights with increased purses featured as well as an Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots event for three-year-old colt trotters on July 18. A full schedule and details on when the track will be open for training will be released in the coming days.

(Kawartha Downs)