The Windsor Star has published a profile piece on the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the Standardbred racing industry in southwestern Ontario.
In the article, local MPP Percy Hatfield, Lakeshore Horse Racing Association executive Tom Bain, and Leamington Raceway General Manager Wayne Martinuik, among others, offer their comments on the situation.
Hatfield, who is also the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Critic for the provincial New Democratic Party, has said that the recently announced relief funding agreement for the racing sector is nothing but a positive move.
“Horsepeople are important to the economy, to community culture, and to Ontario Lottery and Gaming,” Hatfield has said via statement. “Because of this agreement (relief funding), families will have an easier time putting food on the table, caring for their animals, and weathering the storm.”
Bain, who is also the mayor of Lakeshore, said last week that he was in the process for applying for the funding. He also said that the fallout from the pandemic will probably force some racehorse owners to leave the industry.
In terms of the funding, specifically, Bain said, “It will definitely help pay the bills. Those horses have to eat every day, they require a certain level of care and if you continue jogging (training) then you’ve got to continue to pay your staff.”
Martinuik explained to the Windsor Star that he is worried about the future of Leamington Raceway, seeing as though it is currently in the final year of an operational agreement.
“We feel even though we have one of the best live attendance rates in the province, we’re at the top of the ‘endangered species’ list because we’ve got nothing tied to slot machines,” Martinuik was quoted as saying.
To read the Windsor Star piece in its entirety, click here.
(With files from the Windsor Star)