Having split North America into two distinct countries – United States and Canada – the review of Canadian racetracks will be undertaken first on a province by province basis. This is the fifth article dealing with the province of Ontario, Canada’s busiest as regards harness racing.
ONTARIO’S CURRENT RACETRACKS – series B
Hanover Raceway –
Hanover a town located in southwestern Grey County, Ontario, bordering on Bruce County west of Durham and east of Walkerton on Grey/Bruce Road 4 with a population of approximately 7,650 residents.
The half mile Hanover Raceway is operated by the Hanover Bentinck and Brant Agricultural Society which in 2022 were in their 158th year as an Agricultural Society. The Raceway is host to the annual Hanover Fair which takes place in early August, it includes free admission, Homecraft exhibits, Horse shows, Beef and Dairy Cattle competitions, Sheep, Llama’s, 4-H displays (Arts and Crafts), Amusement rides, games and entertainment.
Fairground racing commenced in 1945 while pari-mutuel betting in 2022 celebrates its fifty eighth anniversary having commenced in 1964. Currently the track offers fifteen days of live racing on Saturday afternoons from June to September beginning at 2pm, admission and parking are free. The Simulcast Lounge located at the back of Playtime Casino next door to the Race Track provides for wagering on tracks all over North America.
The Hanover racetrack slots opened on 19 February 2001 being Ontario’s twelfth slots at racetracks operation. The facility opens from 9am to 4am Sunday through Thursday and 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays. Slots at Hanover Raceway is operated and managed by Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) with approximately ninety permanent employees working there. The Town of Hanover receives 5% of the facility’s gross slot machine revenue with the funds used at the discretion of the Municipality. The Ontario slots at racetrack program assists in providing improved facilities and increased stake moneys.
Hanover Raceway has two key feature races run annually, the first being their Crown Jewel event the Dream of Glory – 3T. Named in honour of the late great Hall of Fame stallion, an excellent race horse of his era, also the USTA champion at ages 3, 4 and 5, winner of fifty of his eighty six starts. Dream of Glory enjoyed a prestigious stud career with Armstrong Brothers of Ontario producing thousands of progeny that earned over forty eight million dollars in stake money and close to one hundred and fifty winners of at least one hundred thousand dollars. Dream of Glory died aged twenty one in 1992 and the Dream of Glory race is run on the August Civic Holiday weekend.
The second feature stakes race is the Balanced Image – 2T. A great sire Balanced Image was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2000. Among his many champion progeny were millionaires Arch Madness, Billyjojimbob, Goodtimes, Glorys Comet, Yankee Paco, Rotation, Impeccable Image and Liberty Balance. Passing away in October 2004 Hanover Raceway held the inaugural Balanced Image Trot in 2005 to honour him, an event that has been continued annually in August.
Hiwartha Horse Park (Sarnia) –
Sarnia a city in southwestern Ontario located on the eastern bank of the junction between the Upper and Lower Great Lakes where Lake Huron flows into the St. Clair River, forming the Canada–United States border directly across from Port Huron, Michigan. Sarnia is the largest city on Lake Huron and in Lambton County with a population in excess of seventy thousand.
The Hiwartha Horse Park and Entertainment Centre is located on a one hundred and sixty four acre site on London Road in Sarnia. The half mile track opened on 1 July 1988 is promoted as being available for harness racing, moto-cross, concerts, baseball diamonds, automated and grass deck golf range, sand beach volleyball courts & F1 open wheel kart racing. The Clubhouse Dining Room, Horseshoe Licensed Bar and Snack Bar are available on course.
While live racing takes place from May to September, the track features simulcast broadcasting of racing from Thursday – Saturday 1pm to 12 midnight year round.
Slot machines returned to Hiwartha Horse Park in early 2020 following an absence of eight years after a previous Ontario government ended a ‘slots at racetracks’ programme and closed the four hundred and fifty machine site that Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) had operated at the Sarnia site since 1999.
The one hundred and fifty machine gambling site known as the Gateway Casino Sarnia was officially opened on 30 January 2020. After being selected to run casino gambling in the region, Gateway spent $26 million at the near neighbour Point Edward casino, opened a new casino in Chatham, began work on a new site in London as well as overhauling and reinstating Hiiwartha Horse Park as a casino site. Open seven days a week from 9am to 1pm, the gambling site has 60 employees.
Spread over more than 22,000 sq. ft. the gaming room includes reel slots to the newest visor releases, video poker, multi game machines and eighty table games plus a licensed Express Bar serving sandwiches and appetizers. Sarnia municipality receives a percentage of slots revenue through an agreement with OLG which is estimated to bring in $400,000 a year in revenue which Sarnia plans to use for capital projects.
Kawartha Downs and Speedway –
Peterborough a city on the Otonabee River in Central Ontario, 125 kms (78 miles) northeast of Toronto and about 270 kms (167 miles) southwest of Ottawa with a population of over eighty thousand.
The five eighths mile Kawartha Downs track located in Fraserville approximately 10kms southwest of Peterborough opened on 22 July 1972. This means that the one mile race start commences on the far side away from the grandstand, passing by the grandstand and racing once more round the track. Scheduled racing takes place every Saturday from late May until late September starting at 4pm.
Prior to the opening of Kawartha Downs, harness racing in Peterborough had been held for many decades at Morrow Park. Racing at Morrow Park centred on the annual autumn fair held in mid-August with as many as five further meetings being held each season. Night trotting commenced in the early 1960’s with Peterborough being the first B track to race under arc lights. Pari-mutuel betting was introduced in 1960 increasing from around $4,000 through to a high of $50,000 by 1970. The final meeting at Morrow Park was held on 23 October 1971.
Earlier in 1971 the Peterborough Racing Association’s (PRA) lease of Morrow Park from the Peterborough Agricultural Society was terminated. The PRA decided to build a new track after being unable to obtain long term leasing arrangements in exchange for major capital expenditures to upgrade the aging Morrow Park facility.
The new site for Kawartha Downs was located on Highway 28 at Fraserville, six miles southwest of Peterborough in Cavan Township, Durham County. The PRA purchased 110 acres of land from Lee Reginald Hewitt whose property had been in his family since 1921. The land was surveyed at the beginning of June 1971 with construction commencing shortly after. The five eighths mile oval track of 65 feet width was the second B track of that size in Ontario after Kingston.
The stabling area consisted of two permanent barns each with forty four stalls, a fifty stall ship in barn was planned as well as a paddock to handle additional needs while parking for one hundred and fifty horse floats was provided nearby.
The three level grandstand constructed of steel framing and pre-cast concrete was 200 feet long by 50 feet wide providing seating for two thousand patrons. The stand included a 160 seat dining room, cocktail lounge, snack food concessions and public washrooms. Atop the stand was a penthouse housing the announcer, judges, photo finish and television film patrol.
Built for a reported $1 million, the new track was financed by a total of one hundred and thirty seven shareholders most of whom were involved in harness racing. All shareholders held no more than three per cent of the shares issued.
Opening night on Saturday 22 July 1972 consisted of a ten race programme with Frank Conlin’s maiden 4yo pacer Bold Battles winning the opening race in 2:08.4 for owner Joseph Guest of Hampton, Ontario. Conlin also won the fourth race with John Honey becoming the first multiple winning driver at Kawartha Downs. The only trotting race winner that evening was 7yo mare Hoot Valley for driver Frank Alexander in a time of 2:09.3 for one of the original track investors owner John R. “Jack” Ball of nearby Baltimore.
The opening season featured thirty five meetings. Earlier on 16 September the annual Fallis Memorial Race was held for the first time at Kawartha Downs having been held for many years at the old Morrow Park track. It honoured a veteran of the area who was instrumental in bringing night racing to Peterborough. The final meeting of the opening season occurred on 23 November 1972. The coming of the Ontario Sires Stakes program in 1974 brought in many horses from outside the local area and on 2 September the travelling Ontario Harness Horse Association Belvedere Colt Series for three-year-olds came to Kawartha Downs.
2 July 2002 the tracks thirtieth anniversary reunion was celebrated with ten races honouring a human or equine personality from earlier years – in race order they were Frank Conlin Jr., Jerry Robinson, Derek Newman Sr., Ray Lowery, Cedarwood George, Jerry Hughes, Gerald Lowery, Murray Samons, Billyjojimbob and Allan Nicholls. Ten years later forty years was celebrated with a special anniversary card. Annually a July race night features the celebration of Kawartha Downs’ opening. The major achievement of fifty years in existence will be celebrated this year in 2022.
Dining options at Kawartha Downs include the Grandstand Dining Room buffet open every Saturday from 6 pm with group pricing for tables of six or more available. The concession stand on live harness race nights features hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, poutine, combo meal deals and kids’ meals with hot and cold beverages and ice cream available. The Goodtimes Bar, located at the north end of the main level of the grandstand, offers a variety of refreshments including premium, imported and domestic beers in addition to coolers, wine and house liquors.
Kawartha Speedway is home to a 3/8 mile paved oval track located inside the harness racing track opening in 1999 and used by motor sports. Temporary grandstands are brought onto the harness racing tracks surface. The speedway track hosts a number of other racing venues including the Kawartha Durham Kart Club which commenced use of the speedway track in 2009. The Peterborough Motor Sports Club hosts solo events ranging from stock to fully modified rally cars as part of the club’s championship season. The ‘Gravity Cavity’ located behind the parking lot is a specially designed course for soap box enthusiasts.
Additionally located at Kawartha Raceway is the Slots at Shorelines facility incorporating the Players’ Lounge and Café which are part of the Shorelines Casinos outlet.
Leamington Raceway –
Leamington is the second largest municipality in the Windsor-Essex County area (after the city of Windsor) with a population of over twenty seven thousand five hundred.
The Leamington District Agricultural Society has normally held its fair during the third week of June for over one hundred and seventy years. The Fair features a Midway full of amusement rides, carnival and games, entertainment, Demolition Derby and a variety of contests for arts, crafts, livestock and food booths in a classic County Fair fashion. Harness racing on the half mile Leamington Raceway track situated on the Fairgrounds commenced in 1900. A standard bred horse training facility with rental stalls as well as a race meeting on the third Monday of June (see further dates below) and motorcycle races are held on the half mile flat track during the Fair.
The Lakeshore Horse Racing Association commenced operating Leamington Raceway in 2013 with their mission being “to inspire and promote positive change and growth to the harness horse industry in Ontario”. The not for profit organisation is run by a board of directors and the Association has “a family friendly community focus with high quality service”.
Racing on Sunday afternoons with a start time of 1pm, Leamington races on thirteen occasions in 2022 from 7 August to 30 October.
As one of the most child friendly harness racing tracks in Ontario, Leamington Raceway has a welcoming family atmosphere. Most race days fifty to seventy five children are in attendance, this number totalling in the hundreds on special event days such as the annual Kids’ Day held on the Sunday of Labour Day weekend (first Monday in September). This event is a big hit with giveaways of over thirty bicycles, other prizes and a t-shirt toss. Kids’ Day is highlighted by the Hands on Horses Program run by the Ontario Harness Horse Association giving rides behind a retired racehorse.
The Sunday before Halloween features a costume contest and on Derby Hat Day there is a children’s category, both providing prizes. Leamington regularly offers a “kids zone” underneath the grandstand featuring colouring and crafts for the kids to do and an opportunity to meet a retired racehorse behind the grandstand. The canteen includes a kids’ menu with healthy options as well as freezies, ice cream, popsicles and more.
Lakeshore Horse Racing Association provides youth with opportunities to gain work experience in customer service (on track hosts), working in the backstretch (stabling area, vets, secretary’s office, cafeteria for workers etc) as well as volunteer hours.
Raceway at Western Fair District (London) –
London a city in southwestern Ontario along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor at the confluence of the Thames River, approximately 200 kms (120 miles) from both Toronto and Detroit and about 230 kms (140 miles) from Buffalo, New York. The city has a population approaching four hundred thousand.
The Western Fair Raceway and Casino in London is an area of approximately eighty five acres that operates year round. The grounds include the harness racing track and simulcast centre, coin slot casino, a former IMAX theatre, Sports and Agri-complex. The annual Fair is held in September.
The half mile track opened in 1887 and is aligned to the annual fair’s activities. The Raceway has been officially hosting night harness racing at Canada’s first lighted track since 17 May 1961. For over sixty years it has been South Western Ontario’s place for live harness racing from October through May, racing three to four times a week depending on the season. Races are simulcast from throughout North America seven days a week, 11am to 10.30pm. Free admission and parking is standard at Western Fair where the ultimate dining experience available with a buffet dinner at the Top of the Fair.
The feature race at Western Fair is the season ending Camluck Classic (Molson Pace (1972 – 2017) honouring the most prolific stallion in Canadian harness racing history. A major event it is supported by dining at the Top of the Fair, the tented Infield Experience and the Party on the Patio. Famed winners of this event in recent years have included two time winner Foiled Again in 2011, 2012, winner of 109 races and $7.6m, the most ever by a standardbred; three time winner State Treasurer, 2013 – 2015; NZ bred $2.6m earner Bit Of A Legend, 2017 and track record holder Rockin Ron 1:50.1US set on 26 May 2018 in that year’s inaugural Camluck Classic.
Next Article : Current Ontario tracks – series C
Peter Craig
22 June 2022
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
