Race track rivalry

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There is a turf war brewing between two horse race tracks in Ontario.

Fort Erie race track, one of the biggest employers in southern Niagara says Woodbine is blocking hundreds of horses from competing at its facility.

“Historically since I’ve been in the business and long before that at least 35 years, horses would be free to move back and forth between the two tracks.” Tom Valiquette, Fort Erie race track.

Under the new rule thoroughbred horses that stay at Woodbine during the season are only allowed to compete in one race anywhere else. If they do, they’ll be refused entry into Woodbine to store their horse. The policy however excludes races with prizes over $20 000. Almost all of the prizes at Fort Erie are smaller.

A few years ago the Fort Erie race track was headed for closure. In 2012, the province yanked the slots out of Fort Erie leaving 200 people jobless. The race track says the new rule would affect betting and ultimately its bottom line.

During the season horses are shipped weekly between the two tracks. On average about 600 horses are shipped from Woodbine to Fort Erie throughout the season. According to Fort Erie that’s about a third of the horses that compete on its track.

Some of the horses boarded at Woodbine don’t race much there. Trainers like Anthony Adamo say the new rule could actually bring more of them down to Fort Erie.

“It could work to where the horseman do come down here and when they do come down here they have to stay down here, so somebody is getting employed because the horse can’t go back or it can end up where the horses don’t come down here.”

In a statement from Woodbine it says it is supporting trainers and owners who stable at its facilities and gives them every chance to compete at their home track.

It’s not clear how the policy will affect Fort Erie as of yet. Its season kicks off May 30th.