IN THE MATTER OF THE RACING COMMISSION ACT, S.O. 2000, c. 20;
AND IN THE MATTER OF 2002 LIVE AND INTERTRACK RACE DATES
On October 11th, 2001, Chair Stanley Sadinsky Q.C., Vice-Chair Herbert Bryant and Commissioners Patricia Bullock, Tom Deacon, Bruce Duncan and Ernest Nock convened to hear the applications.
Executive Director Jean Major, Legal Counsel Don Bourgeois and Manager of Information Services Wendy Hoogeveen appeared for the Administration.
The Ontario Racing Commission, after hearing the submissions from the applicants and the parties to the hearings, approved the following:
Live Race Dates
Thoroughbred Dates
Woodbine Racetrack 168
Fort Erie Racetrack 118
Quarter Horse Dates
Picov Downs Racetrack 22
Standardbred Dates
Woodbine Racetrack 148
Mohawk Raceway 112
Flamboro Downs Raceway 261
Windsor Raceway 173
Western Fair Raceway 99
Georgian Downs Raceway 86
Kawartha Downs Raceway 76
Sudbury Downs Raceway 75
Hiawatha Horse Park 63
Elmira Raceway 50
Hanover Raceway 31
Quinte Exhibition & Raceway 26
Dresden Raceway 20
Clinton Raceway 17
Woodstock Raceway 16
Total Live Dates 1,561
Intertrack Race Dates
Woodbine Racetrack 364
Fort Erie Racetrack 364
Picov Downs 22
Mohawk Raceway 364
Flamboro Downs Raceway 364
Windsor Raceway 364
Western Fair Raceway 364
Barrie Raceway 364
Kawartha Downs Raceway 364
Sudbury Downs Raceway 364
Hiawatha Horse Park 364
Elmira Raceway 364
Hanover Raceway 364
Quinte Exhibition & Raceway 364
Dresden Raceway 364
Clinton Raceway 364
Woodstock Raceway 364
Total Intertrack Dates 5,846
All post times were approved as applied for.
Calendars for Live Dates are attached.
Dated at Toronto this 18^th^ day of October, 2001
BY ORDER OF THE COMMISSION
Jean Major
Executive Director
The Ontario Racing Commission hereby grants the following Live Race Dates, Intertrack Race Dates and Off Track Wagering Dates at teletheatres for both domestic and foreign product for 2002 as follows. Implicit in the granting of dates is the renewal of a racetrack’s licence and the renewal of existing teletheatre licenses, if applicable (subject to the filing of the required documents satisfactory to the Administration of the ORC).
THOROUGHBRED DATES
Woodbine Racetrack 168 Live Race Dates – Post Times as requested; all Intertrack Race Dates and Off Track Wagering Dates at teletheatres as requested.
Woodbine Entertainment Group (WEG) has applied for 168 days of live racing. The Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) has opposed the application by submitting that WEG should race an additional 13 days. The HBPA argues that there are ample purse monies available and that the horsemen would prefer to commence racing earlier in March 2002 than proposed.
WEG responds by pointing out that its experience with the average field size in 2001 does not support an increased number of live days in 2002. The average field size is 7.9 horses per race, an increase of 0.1 over the year 2000. Field sizes are particularly small in many allowance and stakes events.
Neither WEG nor the HBPA are able to pinpoint the reasons for the small average field size. It may be due to the unwillingness of owners and trainers to enter their horses often, as they prefer to pick their races more carefully and rely on increased earnings due to the substantial size of the purses. On the other hand, it may be due to the way in which stall spaces are allocated by WEG and to the manner in which race conditions are written. The HBPA suggested that insufficient races are being written for Canadian-breds.
Everyone agrees that it is in the interests of all parties to seek ways to increase the size of the fields. The ORC is also unable to pinpoint the reasons why average field sizes are so small given the size of the horse population being housed on the backstretch at Woodbine. The parties are best able to address this problem with ongoing dialogue and we leave it to them to do so.
In the meantime, we are not prepared to impose additional live days on WEG and we approve its application for 168 live thoroughbred days at Woodbine.
Fort Erie Racetrack 118 Live Race Dates – Post Times as requested; all Intertrack Race Dates and Off Track Wagering Dates at teletheatres as requested.
Fort Erie has applied for 118 days of live racing. The HBPA has opposed this application by submitting that Fort Erie should race an additional 8 live days. The HBPA again argues that there are ample purse monies available and that the horsemen would prefer to continue racing through November 2002.
Unlike the situation at Woodbine, there is an ample horse population at Fort Erie and its average field size in 2001 is 8.4. Fort Erie responds by pointing out that weather is a considerable problem in November, that there is dwindling attendance as the fall season progresses, that the colony of horses becomes more and more tired and, most important, that Fort Erie is prepared to add additional races on days that it operates to ensure that its horsemen have increased racing opportunities that will make up for the additional days requested in November.
Taking all factors into account, we are satisfied with Fort Erie’s application and we grant it 118 live race dates as requested. We accept Mr. Lynn’s statement that additional races will be carded in order to increase the number of racing opportunities.
QUARTER HORSE DATES
Picov Downs Racetrack 22 Live Race Dates – Post Times as requested; all Intertrack Race Dates as requested.
The Commission also approves the Off Track Wagering Dates at Teletheatres in Ajax, Pickering and Whitby as requested. This is done provided the betting permit issued for these teletheatres remains in the name of the Woodbine Entertainment Group which also received our approval for these dates, and that an Agreement between the WEG and Picov to operate these teletheatres will remain in effect through 2002.
STANDARDBRED DATES
Woodbine Racetrack 148 Live Race Dates – Post Times as requested; all Intertrack Race Dates and Off Track Wagering Dates at teletheatres as requested.
Mohawk Raceway 112 Live Race Dates – Post Times as requested; all Intertrack Race Dates and Off Track Wagering Dates at teletheatres as requested.
Windsor Raceway 173 Live Race Dates – Post Times as requested; all Intertrack Race Dates and Off Track Wagering Dates at teletheatres as requested.
Dresden Raceway 20 Live Race Dates – Post Times as requested; all Intertrack Race Dates as requested.
Woodstock Raceway 16 Live Race Dates – Post Times as requested; all Intertrack Race Dates as requested.
Flamboro Downs Raceway 261 Live Race Dates – Post Times as requested; all Intertrack Race Dates and Off Track Wagering Dates at teletheatres as requested.
Hiawatha Horse Park 63 Live Race Dates – Post Times as requested; all Intertrack Race Dates as requested.
Hiawatha has applied for 63 live race dates, which are 12 fewer than it sought in 2001. The Ontario Harness Horse Association (OHHA) opposes this application on the basis of the reduction. Hiawatha has replied by indicating that it will increase the number of races on its cards in order to provide its horsepeople with additional racing opportunities but that it is ill suited for winter racing due to weather conditions in the Sarnia area. It has experienced difficulties with snow removal from the track and frozen water lines. In addition, with the opening of the Point Edward Charity Casino some 10 minutes away from Hiawatha by car, it has experienced considerable competition for the wagering and entertainment patron.
We also note that the 63 live dates represent an increase of 26% over the number of live racing dates in existence prior to the introduction of slots at Hiawatha.
We are satisfied with the reasons given for the reduction in race dates in 2002 and we approve its application. We expect that Hiawatha will increase the number or races that it offers in order to provide the additional racing opportunities indicated.
Hanover Raceway 31 Live Race Dates – Post Times as requested; all Intertrack Race Dates as requested.
Clinton Raceway 17 Live Race Dates – Post Times as requested; all Intertrack Race Dates as requested.
Elmira Raceway 50 Live Race Dates – Post Times as requested; all Intertrack Race Dates and Off Track Wagering Dates at teletheatres as requested.
Western Fair Raceway - 99 Live Race Dates – Post Times as requested; all Intertrack Race Dates and Off Track Wagering Dates at teletheatres as requested.
Quinte Exhibition
and Raceway (Belleville) 26 Live Race Dates – Post Times as requested; all Intertrack Race Dates as requested.
Kawartha Downs Raceway 76 Live Race Dates – Post Times as requested; all Intertrack Race Dates and Off Track Wagering Dates at teletheatres as requested.
Kawartha has applied for 76 live race dates which are fewer than it sought in 2001. OHHA opposes this application on the basis of the reduction. OHHA submits that Kawartha should have sought 88 live dates.
Kawartha has responded by indicating that winter racing does not make economic sense for it, due to the difficulties that would occur as a result of its lack of sufficient equipment to deal with winter conditions, including the supply of water. It is willing to card 12 races per program in order to provide further racing opportunities for its horsepeople. Kawartha has also indicated that it is prepared to seek 12 additional live dates in the summer of 2002 if it is able to put up its racing signal for external wagering.
We are reluctant to approve an application for a reduced number of live dates simply on the basis of economic considerations that apply to the racing association. However, we are prepared to approve this application with the proviso that we require Kawartha to provide us with a full report on the status of its uplink program on or before April 1, 2002. Should that uplink be in place, we would expect Kawartha to come forward with an application for 12 further live dates. We also accept Kawartha’s undertaking to provide the additional races per card in 2002 as indicated.
Georgian Downs 86 Live Race Dates – Post Times as requested; all Intertrack Race Dates and Off Track Wagering Dates at teletheatres as requested.
Rideau Carleton Raceway
On consent, this application has been adjourned to Tuesday, October 23, 2001, at 10:00 a.m.. Today’s panel is not seized with this application.
Sudbury Downs Raceway 75 Live Race Dates – Post Times as requested; all Intertrack Race Dates and Off Track Wagering Dates at teletheatres as requested.
Customer Benefits
When applying for their 2002 race dates, all racing associations were required to submit annual proposals for the expenditure of the available funds under this program.
The Commission accepts the proposals of all of the racing associations listed above.
In closing, we wish to thank all parties who attended the Race Date Hearing and those who provided extensive written material. We especially appreciate the full responses received from our request for a statement of backstretch improvements which took place in 2001 and are planned for 2002 at each racing facility.
DATED this 18^th^ day of October, 2001.
Stanley Sadinsky, Q.C.
Chair