Fort Erie Struggles With Field Size Amidst COVID-19

Fort Erie racetrack, the first Ontario racing meeting to get underway, had to leave its entry box open an extra day this past weekend in order to fill races on Monday and Tuesday.

Following a successful opening day June 2 in which $2 million was wagered, the track had just 35 horses race in 6 dashes on Monday, June 8, and there are 40 entrants for today’s six-race card. Monday the wagering on the card was an impressive $824,000 as the Fort Erie racing is popular with bettors.

Tom Valiquette, CEO and COO of Fort Erie, said there are 285 horses at the track, “up about 15 from last year.”

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Valiquette noted two major reasons it has, and will be, a bit slower for the track to boost up its horse population this year.

“Normally we would see a build-up during the meet for a number of reasons,” said Valiquette. “The late start at Woodbine will definitely slow this down as people still want to try their chances at the bigger purses at Woodbine before making their way here.”

“The bigger issue, however, is Covid-19 and the border. We have a number of outfits, some who have raced, and stabled, here in the past, that are not able to come. They could send their horses, but they themselves and their help can’t come into Canada, so they are staying put.”

Woodbine had a few US shippers on the first two days of its season, June 6 and 7, but those horses were sent to local trainers and grooms.

Certainly after a few weeks of the Woodbine meeting, Fort Erie should start to see horsepeople send their horses to try the dirt track or easier competition. As with all tracks in Canada currently, there are no spectators permitted at Fort Erie for live racing.