Officials with the Lakeshore Horse Raceway Group that is trying to bring a new harness track to Essex County have gone on the record as saying that the prospects for 10 additional live race dates at Leamington Raceway this summer are diminishing.
"Time's starting to run out for us," said group member Tom Bain, who is also Essex County's warden and the mayor of Lakeshore.
As a report by CTV News explains, Bain is upset that the Lakeshore group has yet to hear back from the Ontario Racing Commission after having submitted the proposal.
Under the group's plan, the 10 additional live race dates for this summer at Leamington are part of a bigger undertaking, one which would lead to a not-for-profit standardbred raceway to be erected in Lakeshore going forward.
"It is very disappointing to think that we haven't heard back," said Bain. "Unbelievable time, effort, talents, treasures have been put into all of this."
Bain added, "We've really done our job down here. We've completed the requirements -- there have been a number of requirements."
The report states that Ontario's horse-racing transitional panel has said that once the ORC comes up with a decision on the race-date issue, the panel can then work with the commission to come up with a plan, but right now the panel can only move forward with recommendations for the 2014 racing season.
To view the video report, click here.
(With files from CTV News)
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