As Kawartha Downs reaches the end of its 2021 meet on the first Saturday in October, track officials are looking to race much deeper into the fall in years to come.
According to an article in the Peterborough Examiner, Kawartha Downs will look to expand its racing calendar through to December in 2022. The expanded schedule is a part of ambitious plans track general manager Jim Huck and Romspen Investment Corp. have for the five-eighths mile oval located just outside of Peterborough in Fraserville, Ont.
The article in The Examiner indicated that Huck sent a letter to local officials and politicians seeking support to expand harness racing while also encouraging other ideas to diversify operations. While the track has hosted stock car racing in the past, Huck said the inner track will be removed after today's meet-closing card.
"They (Romspen) don't want stock cars. It's not profitable and is an expense they don't want to have," Huck said. "We proved it trying to have those Pinty's NASCAR Canada races there. It cost an arm and a leg and depended on weather. If it rained, it was cancelled. It was a losing proposition."
According to the article, Ontario Racing has received the application for an expanded calendar that would include Saturday harness racing from May through to December plus Wednesday nights in July.
Structurally, significant upgrades to the grandstand roof, ceiling and flooring are nearing completion and the horse barns were upgraded earlier this year.
"We want to be a signature track where the purses would be higher so we can attract more horses," Huck said.
Huck went on to say that Kawartha Downs is in talks with a local soccer club for an indoor turf field on the grounds, and the property offers a plethora of post-pandemic opportunities.
"We want to make the venue more useful for everybody," Huck said.