Fort Erie meet opens with higher purses, capital improvements

Fort Erie Race Track will begin its 122nd season of live racing Tuesday with a card that drew 63 entries for nine races. The meet is highlighted once again by the 84th running of the $500,000 Prince of Wales Stakes on July 23. The Prince of Wales serves as the second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown and will be run over 1 3/16 miles on dirt.

Racing will be conducted on Sundays and Tuesdays. The track will have cards only on Tuesdays for the first two weeks of the season, with Sunday racing kicking off June 9. The meet’s closing day is Oct. 15.

Fort Erie’s financial model has changed for the 2019 season after the province of Ontario’s new long-term funding agreement for horse racing went into effect April 1. Tom Valiquette, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Fort Erie Race Track, said this year marks the first season of full integration between Fort Erie and Ontario Racing, which is recognized by the provincial government as the authority for horse racing in Ontario and distributes all government funding among its member racetracks.

With the new arrangement, all handle generated by live racing at Fort Erie and the other racetracks in the province is centralized, with the tracks receiving funding to cover purses and operating expenses. As a result, Fort Erie had to change its tote provider to Amtote over the offseason.

:: MEMORIAL DAY SALE: Save 50% on Formulator PPs, DRF Plus access, and handicapping reports

“The financial arrangements, while they work out the same, are structured differently,” Valiquette said. “Effective April 1 of this year, we’re on a common tote system with Woodbine. The wagering goes up to Woodbine, but we get a straight allotment to cover purses and operating costs. This is the first year we’re coordinating the whole mutuel side of operations with them, and we’re working a lot closer with Woodbine than we have in the past.”

As a result of the funding Fort Erie will receive from Ontario Racing this season, the track has increased average daily purses by 20 percent and has received $1.8 million allocated toward capital improvements.

Simulcast players will notice a difference in Fort Erie’s signal this season, as the track has upgraded to high-definition. Ontrack customers will also see improvements to the track this season, including a new infield tote board, roof work, and food-and-beverage improvements.

Fort Erie saw an all-sources handle increase of 6 percent in 2018, and Valiquette hopes improvements made in the offseason will lead to further increases.

“We spent a lot of money, and a lot of that is ontrack experience,” he said. “The high-definition will certainly have an impact on the simulcast market. The arrangement now is we don’t receive the direct benefits of wagering, but we still care very much that our product is well thought of and valued. I hope to see that our wagering continues to grow.”