The Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) will be reporting to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), effective immediately. The announcement of the ministry change was included in a news release which indicated that an agreement in principle has been made between the Government of Ontario and Woodbine Entertainment Group. ORC Chair Rod […]
Horse Racing News
Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) today confirmed that it has reached an agreement in principle with the Province which ensures the continuation of live horse racing at Woodbine and Mohawk Racetracks for the next two years. “This long-awaited agreement offers stability while WEG and our partners in horse racing work with government towards a long-term sustainability […]
The Jockey Club of Canada will host their 38th Annual Sovereign Awards Ceremony, to honour the Canadian Champions of 2012, at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto on the eve of the start of their live Thoroughbred race meet, which is still to be determined. The elegant, cocktail-attire celebration will include a champagne reception, a buffet-style gourmet […]
Deloitte Touche LLP is still in the process of conducting their audit of Woodbine Entertainment Group’s finances. In the interim, the Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) continue to negotiate a lease agreement for floor space for the slots at Woodbine Racetrack. As a result of the status of the […]
When the government announced the end of the Slots-At-Racetracks program they noted it was part of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s Modernization Strategy. Part of that strategy includes the OLG’s Charitable Bingo and Gaming Revitalization Initiative which they note includes “new products and technologies – like electronic bingo and other games – to invigorate […]
Up to 338 acres in Fort Erie, Ontario, 100 acres of which used to be Fort Erie Race Track is for sale
Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) has announced that handle on Woodbine’s 2012 live Thoroughbred meet, which concluded on December 16, showed impressive growth over the 2011 season. The 156-day meet saw an “all-sources” wagering total of $453,865,564, up 7.2% over the $423,209,365 wagered on the 165 dates offered in 2011. The numbers are even more impressive […]
The long-standing ban on using artificial insemination (AI) for breeding Thoroughbred racehorses has been upheld by a federal court in Australia, after Bruce McHugh, a former chairman of the Sydney Turf Club, challenged the rule in 2011. McHugh argued that the ban represents an illegal restraint of trade and a breach of the Trade Practices […]
Chiefswood Stable homebred Heathcote made every pole a winning one to capture Sunday’s Grade 3, $177,700 Valedictory Stakes, the final stakes event of Woodbine’s 2012 thoroughbred season. The son of Niigon, trained by Paul Attard and ridden expertly by Emma-Jayne Wilson, put away Quaesitor at the top of the lane and galloped home a 12 […]
There were familiar names on top of the leaderboard at the end of Sunday’s huge 13-race season-ending card at Woodbine, a campaign that saw plenty of stellar performances on both the main track and E.P. Taylor Turf Course, including a resounding score by a potential U.S. Horse of the Year. Mark Casse recorded his sixth […]
The Director of the Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) today announced the decision on the applications received seeking variances to the assigned dates for 2013. A total of 5 applications were received from 4 different racetrack operators, which in total sought to reduce the number of 2013 race dates in January, February and March from 224 […]
The final race card of the 2012 Woodbine thoroughbred racing season was drawn Thursday morning, signaling the end of the eight-month, 156-date campaign. Sunday’s closing day, which has a first-race post time of 1:05 p.m., features 142 horses, including two also-eligible runners, spread over a 13-race card. The Valedictory Stakes, for older horses, at a […]
Aunt Els led at every call with a powerful effort to take Sunday’s $150,000 Ontario Lassie Stakes, at Woodbine. The chestnut daughter of Consolidator, an R.M.C homebred trained by Norm McKnight, broke sharply in the 1 1/16-mile ‘Poly’ stake for Ontario-bred two-year-old fillies, and saved all the ground en route to a one-length score over […]
On Thursday, December 6th, Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Party Caucus released its anticipated white paper entitled ‘Paths to Prosperity – A New Deal for the Public Sector.’ In the paper, the Ontario PC Caucus states that the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.’s ‘empire building’ in the gaming sector should be stopped, and that the province should […]
Liberal leadership candidate Dr. Eric Hoskins released his rural platform in his hometown of Simcoe in southwestern Ontario. The plan emphasizes the need for the Ontario Liberal Party to re-connect with and listen to rural Ontarians to regain their trust and provide rural communities with greater economic opportunity. “For Ontario to be successful, we need […]
