A strong card of exciting races drove big crowds to the wagering windows on opening day at the Fort Erie Race Track on Tuesday.

Total wagering for the day topped $1.75 million, which was up 6 per cent over opening day last year, despite having two fewer races than in 2022. The day’s signature race, the Spring into Summer Cup, was a stakes race with a $30,000 purse which attracted plenty of attention from bettors to cap off a busy day at the historic border oval as the final horse crossed the finish line just before sunset.

“It feels good to win any race, but winning a big stakes race feels even better,” said trainer Kevin Buttigieg, who was surprised to see his horse, One More Ring, cross the finish line first and bring home the cup. “He got sick on me recently, but we sent him up to the farm for a couple weeks to recover and he came back strong.”

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