Page 27 - February 2009 The Game

uCanada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper The Game, February 2009 27
pdate
HBPAOntario
www.hbpa.on.ca
HBPA Ontario Administration Office:: 135 Queen’s Plate Drive, Suite 370 Toronto, Ontario, M9W 6V1 • 416-747-5252
Decision Deadline for Fort Erie Extended to March
A decision by the Ontario government on the fate of Fort Erie Race Track has now been extended to March 30, a date which HBPA President Sue Leslie says is unfair for Fort Erie Horsemen.
A new proposal by Fort Erie Economic Development and Tourism Corp. (EDTC) to purchase the track for $32 million from El-Ad (Canada) Inc., the company that owns the track and its holding company, Nordic Gaming Corp., had an original deadline of January 26. However the Province has stated that it needs more time to review the details of the plan.
The Ontario Racing Commission has now given them to the end of March, by extending the racetrack license to March 30.
“We’re very unhappy about that decision.” said HBPA President Sue Leslie, “I could understand if they (the ORC) had extended it a week or
two to give us, the EDTC and the Province more time to look at the latest proposal. But delaying it to the end of March, I think, is absolutely, horribly unfair to the horsemen in Fort Erie.
“We’re losing horses (to other tracks) every day and this is going to tip the edge for the horsemen. The extension of the license to the end of March might just as well have been an announcement of no 2009 racing at Fort Erie. They have left the horsemen with no alternative but to move on. Time has run out.
Permanent Tack Rooms for Sales Barns
“We’re continuing to work with all the parties to try to get a resolution as quickly as we can. I think the extension of that license to that date has kind of taken the pressure off everybody and I’m concerned now that things will just sot status quo for the next few weeks which is very unfortunate and very unfair to the horsemen.”
On Monday, January 19, in a press conference in Fort Erie, Economic Development and Tourism Corp. general manager Jim Thibert informed Fort Erie council that he and agency chairman Claude Pilato had submitted an offer to purchase the racetrack property including buildings, land, equipment, inventory, licenses and trademarks with the intent of establishing it as a not- for-pro t corporation.
Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor took the proposal to Queen’s Park for consideration with Nordic issuing the Province a decision deadline of Janaury 26.
The Ontario government replied by saying that while the proposal is “creative and has some merits” it expressed concerns about some details, speci cally with regards to the Province guaranteeing earnings, wagering, or sales at the racetrack, while having neither control over customer demand for the product nor control over operations and services.
hope to have the rooms completed by the end of February.
The HBPA and WEG are splitting the construction costs in what
The HBPA of Ontario and Woodbine Entertainment Group have entered into a joint venture to install permanent tack rooms for trainers located in the “sales” barns at Woodbine Racetrack.
will be a permanent solution to remove the added costs incurred by the “sales” barn trainers.
Construction has already begun on the rooms which will eliminate the need for trainers to pay money to rent trailers. They
OtherNews&Notes:
The HBPA is working with the Ontario Government and the Ontario Racing Commission to improve working relations between the horsemen (the stakeholders) and their regulators (the ORC).
The Province is reviewing the operations of the ORC in terms of how it functions and their decision making, and rule change processes.
Woodbine
HBPA Trainer and Assistant Trainer Testing Schedule 2009
Applications for Trainer and Assistant Trainer testing will be available at the track of ce in February 2009. All applications must be submitted two weeks prior to the test dates. Only complete applications will be accepted.
HBPA Trainer and Assistant Trainer Testing Schedule 2009: March 25, 2009 - Woodbine Racetrack
April 22, 2009 - Both Woodbine & Fort Erie Racetracks
May 27, 2009 - Both Woodbine and Fort Erie Racetracks
July 8, 2009 - Both Woodbine and Fort Erie Racetracks September 23, 2009 - Both Woodbine and Fort Erie Racetracks
VisittheHBPAon-lineat www.hbpaont.on.ca
For more information contact the HBPA Backstretch Of ce, 416-675-3802.
Woodbine HBPA Backstretch Of ce
The Woodbine HBPA backstretch of ce will re-open at 7am February 5, 2009.
The of ce will be open Monday to Friday from 7am to 3pm. The of ce extend its hours to seven days a week at the start of the 2008 racing season in April.
The HBPA Administrative Of ce will remain open during regular business hours throughout the winter months.
The Game February 2009.indd 27 1/28/09 2:00:41 AM