Page 4 - November 2008 The Game

4 The Game, November 2008
Fort Erie Update Continued from Page 3
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“Four, ve six years ago we were one of maybe 1,200 or 2,000 slots. By next year there’s going to be about 18,000 in a 90-mile radius.”
far-ranging impacts on the horse industry.
“The difference between the thoroughbred and the stan-
Ayers also cited the no-smoking laws in Ontario, The Smoke-Free Ontario Act, which was introduced in May, 2006 bans smoking in enclosed places and public places.
dardbred industry is the standardbred industry has many racetracks,” she said. “We don’t have that on the thorough- bred side. We need two thoroughbred racetracks in Ontario. I don’t see, based on any knowledge that I have, that there’s going to be any room at Woodbine to pick up the horses or the labour that’s in Fort Erie. I think it’s going to be lost to the industry, and that’s going to have an impact on every- body, including owners and trainers at Woodbine that use Fort Erie as an outlet for horses that aren’t good enough for Woodbine or as they come down the ladder it gives them
He also pointed to the near parity of the loonie and restrictions on travelling in and out of the U.S.
“All of those things put together bring business down very, very badly,” Ayers said.
To truly understand the economic impact, consider that in 2002 the Ontario Lottery Corporation provided $13 mil- lion each to the track and horsemen from the bene ts of the slots. Last year, the track and the horsemen each received less than one third of that.
an outlet for their horses, and they’re going to lose that. It’s a bad, bad situation for everybody if we let this racetrack close.”
“That (ability to save the track for this season) was basically done on the back of the owner who agreed to lose another $5 million to $7 million because the slot revenue isn’t suf cient enough to fund the racing element for the year,” Martin said.
Earlier this year, a report that had been commissioned
by the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services revealed some startling news by about the future of race- tracks in Ontario. The report, chaired by former Ontario Racing Commissioner Stanley Sadinsky, indicated that unless the Ontario horse racing industry changed its current direction, it is doomed.
Martin said with an increased development in and around the racetrack, increased tourism dollars and increased revenue from the slots, the biggest benefactor is the province because it reaps three quarters of the slot revenues.
“The horse racing product must become attractive to the betting consumer; otherwise, the industry is unlikely to survive,” the report indicated. “Customers will vote with their dollars and unless the industry can nd ways to attract those dollars to its core racing product, it will be out of business.”
“They’re a de nite benefactor to the development if it all goes as planned,” Martin said. He added that the owner was willing to commit the track as long as there was a “light at the end of the tunnel” to stem the losses.
“He felt by doing this development this would
be bene cial not only for him on his investment to go big,” Martin added. “It was called go big or go home and he wanted to go big. He thought this would be the thing that was necessary to bring the light back into the facility so it becomes pro table again. Without this, it would just continue to lose money and I can’t see as a business person how you could survive if you continue to lose money.”
Among its many recommendations, the report endorsed government assistance on the Fort Erie project.
“If the development proposals of Fort Erie make economic sense, we encourage the provincial government to consider providing support,” it said. “This is principally an economic development issue and not a horse racing matter. If diversi cation at Fort Erie Racetrack leads to stability of the racing enterprise, that will surely (lead) to the bene t
of horse racing. If these plans are likely to go forward, we encourage the provincial government to provide a level
of interim subsidization for Fort Erie unconnected to slot revenue in order to keep the track ‘alive’ in the interim.”
34th Annual Sovereign Awards - Important Dates
Fort Erie Racetrack has faced nancial dilemmas before that caused the town to worry about its future, but it has managed to survive these roadblocks. But Leslie said this crisis is potentially the most acute.
Leslie said the impact of the track closing would have
The 34th Annual Sovereign Awards will be held at the Four Season Hotel in Toronto on Friday, December 12, 2008.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Chartered Accountants
will audit the process and will release the names of the
three nalists in the fourteen divisional categories to The Jockey Club of Canada for release to the public on Friday, December 5, 2008. The three nalists for Horse of the Year will be announced at time of presentation.
In order to be eligible for consideration, 2-Year-Old horses must make two starts and horses 3-Years-Old and Up must make three starts in Canada by Sunday, November 23, 2008.
For additional information on this year’s Sovereign Awards or to order tickets please contact: Bridget Bimm, The Jockey Club of Canada, Telephone: 416-675-7756
Eligible voters may begin voting online at 9:00 am (ET) on Thursday, November 27, 2008 and must cast their nal ballots by 12:00 (noon) (ET) on Mon., December 1, 2008.
Jazz for Child Health BC
Racetrack veterinarian Anne Bailey
died tragically when her plane crashed as she was returning from a conference in Kentucky in 2006. The Anne Marie Bailey Fund is hosting a Jazz Concert in Nanaimo, BC on November 1 to raise money for
the Child Health BC and for the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital to relocate and renovate their pediatric in-patient unit and add an adjacent pediatric out-patient clinic.
“More than one million children live in British Columbia. Child Health BC aims to build regional health care capacity through educational programs, capital investment in child and youth facilities, equipment
purchases, and interim operational funding so kids can receive care closer to home. This approach co-brands regional facilities to meet the objective of ensuring consistent access to a high level of pediatric care to all children in the province.”
Child Health BC Statement
Those who are unable to attend the event, but wish to support the cause, can contribute through The Anne Marie Bailey Fund Suite 405, 4603 Kingsway Burnaby, BC V5H 4M4.
The late Anne Bailey
- Jim Reynolds, The Game
“We are proud to give back to the community,” says Michael Simard, surviving spouse and director of the fund.
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