After months of uncertainty regarding the future of horse racing at Kawartha Downs, owner Skip Ambrose has announced that live harness racing will take place at the Fraserville five-eighths mile track this summer.
According to a release by Kawartha Downs, live harness racing at the Peterborough-area raceway thanks to an agreement reached with the Ontario Racing Commission.
The tentative schedule calls for racing every Saturday night from June to October. The actual race dates will be confirmed and announced within the next week, pending approval of the track’s license.
“This has taken a great deal of time and effort on behalf of many individuals,” Ambrose was quoted as saying in the release. “I am especially grateful to our local MPP Jeff Leal. Without his intervention this never would have been possible.”
The full schedule for Kawartha Downs’ 2014 season, which will be the 42nd year of harness racing at the facility, will be released shortly.
(With files from KD)
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Mr Schumaker.... if the
Mr Schumaker....
if the government gets out of racing you will only have 3 tracks left in Ontario
An election year right. Too
An election year right. Too little too late. A lot of the horsemen have had to sell or get rid of their horses
Although KD is not part of
Although KD is not part of the Alliance group of tracks, I believe KD is an important track to cater a good geographical area of horse population. We need the 5/8ths tracks to be a bigger part of our racing market as it will help the longevity of our racehorses with the bigger turns. We will encounter a shortage of horses as the breeding sector has been decimated with the numbers of future production of livestock. The final link will be the purse structures which cannot be the grassroots level of $35,000 per card. Potential owners cannot justify racing for $31,500 after driver and trainer commisions. The purse structures need to encourage future activity and these grassroot purses will not do it for potential owners. We truly are better off racing less often for alot more money. I Thank and do congratulate the people behind the push to re-open KD. I sincerely hope it will be a successful racing season
Mike Timpano
this is absolutely fantastic
this is absolutely fantastic news,for the livelihood of all who are involved with this sport.
I really enjoyed racing at
I really enjoyed racing at KD. Unfortunately, the purses will be pitiful.
I will say that the fans who attend the races there are among the most loyal and genuinely nice people I have had the pleasure of dealing with in my short tenure in the business.
The track itself and the barn are lacking and this has to be cleaned up. If we are fortunate enough to get a change to the purse structures, I would be pleased to come back and race there.
Georg Leber-ICR Racing
Oh thank you great and
Oh thank you great and magnificent leader Leal !
Great news - right before
Great news - right before election time. I hope your not going to forget!!!
Whoever is responsible. Thank
Whoever is responsible. Thank You !!! What a hole no racing has been in everyone involved lives. Lets all do all we can to make the racing at KD a success !!!
In reply to Whoever is responsible. Thank by songwriter
What has taken so long? Is
What has taken so long?
Is the Liberal government looking to make amends and buy votes at this late stage.It certainly sound fishy.
Some of the owners use racing as a hobby.Most as a business.How can a business drop the plans they had and then switch to this track?How can the owners of the track get quality horses in a short time.It is time the government got out of racing.Notice I did not make a capital G for government--they are not worth the respect.It is time they are made to be accountable and those in the racing industry not bow down because they were given some race dates.
Gary
This is positive news! - I
This is positive news! - I know my uncle and his buddies from the Havelock coffee shop will be relieved. Great crowds on Saturdays now we just have to get them to bet. Let's do something with our second kick at the can.
Great news !
Great news !
This is great news
This is great news
Great news
Great news