Harness: Ontario lockdown having major industry impact

The question of when Woodbine Mohawk Park and a large portion of Canada in general will be able to return to its normal daily routine remains very much in doubt. The most recent Ontario lockdown is scheduled to last until at least May 20, which certainly leads to questions as to how the Mohawk stakes schedule will be affected.

In addition to a number of Ontario-sired races scheduled for May, the Grand Circuit is slated to roll into town for the Graduate Series and divisions of the Somebeachsomewhere on June 5, followed by a big weekend of stakes eliminations on June 12, and, of course, the C$1 million North America Cup final on a huge stakes card planned for June 19.

When reached this week via e-mail, Woodbine Entertainment CEO Jim Lawson was clearly at his wits' end with the situation and also addressed the possibility of postponing certain stakes races if the racing shutdown continued beyond early May.

"I can confirm (to put it gently!) that this is highly frustrating for us and our Ontario horse racing community; however, we are all working diligently and together to get live racing going in Ontario as soon as possible," said Lawson. "A potential postponement of the Pepsi North America Cup is something we are monitoring closely. We are currently focused on our discussions with Government in hopes that we are permitted to resume racing at Mohawk as soon as possible. If we are not able to resume racing by May 8, then we will have to consider postponing the NA Cup until later in the season."

The situation with the North America Cup and many of the other stakes scheduled at Woodbine Mohawk Park in May and June goes beyond when racing is permitted to resume in Ontario. Horses need "real life" competition and conditioning to be prepared for these major stakes and even if racing was to resume the day after the lockdown ends on May 21, would there even be enough time for those stabled north of the border to be at 100 percent? There is also the concern as to how many trainers will travel from the U.S. to Canada just weeks after the lockdown has ended.

"I would not want to speculate on when the race would take place if it is postponed," said Lawson on the North America Cup. "While it is challenging, we faced this situation last year. We were able to reschedule, and it ended up being a great night with the highest wagering handle in the 57-year history of racing at Mohawk - our strong preference is to resume racing as soon as possible and keep the NA Cup as scheduled. Maintaining our schedule as best we can is ideal for the Standardbred community who are well into planning their summer stakes circuit. We certainly appreciate that the industry deserves clarity on when we will be allowed to resume, and we are doing everything we can to keep people up to date on our progress."

Mohawk isn't the only track affected by the lockdown in terms of stakes racing. Flamboro Downs already cancelled the Confederation Cup, scheduled for May 23, and it was confirmed Thursday afternoon (4/22) that the Camluck Classic, slated for May 28 at The Raceway at Western Fair District, has also suffered the same fate. Neither race was contested in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Another issue facing racing in Canada will come once the lockdown has been lifted by the government. A number of horsemen and horsewomen have crossed the border in search of work. Drivers Doug McNair and Bob McClure have set up shop on the East Coast at tracks like the Meadowlands, Harrah's Philadelphia and Pocono. Each have drives this weekend, with McNair listed on seven horses on Friday at the Meadowlands alone. Jody Jamieson is expected to compete at Tioga in May, while Louis-Philippe Roy and Travis Henry have found a temporary home in Indiana at Harrah's Hoosier Park.

Many owners have moved their horses to U.S.-based barns, and a large group of trainers have brought their stock south on their own. Canadian-based trainers like Rob Fellows, Amanda Fine, Luc Blais and Mark Steacy have all begun racing in the United States. They are expected to return, but will that happen the moment the lockdown ends in Canada?

"With respect to the horsepeople and horses that have recently departed Ontario, we appreciate the position our trainers and drivers find themselves in and understand the need to race," said Lawson. "At the same time, I am confident and hopeful they will return for our industry-leading stakes program, competitive overnight purses and the Ontario Sires Stakes program. We are maintaining our track surface daily, and we are prepared to welcome racing back immediately upon being given the green light; however, we do understand that clarity on the resumption of racing is fair, necessary and will help everyone plan for our successful relaunch.

"Our owners, trainers and drivers have invested a lot into the industry, and throughout the past year they took all of the safety protocols we implemented very seriously. We operated more than 2,600 races since we resumed racing last June and didn't have a single case of on-site transmission of COVID-19. We fully appreciate the challenges that Government faces, and we are very supportive of doing our part.

"I have shared with Government that if we are not provided some reassurances that we can return to racing soon, irreparable damage will be caused to this industry. We don't want to see our regular owners, trainers and drivers leave Woodbine Mohawk Park. Together, we have built our racetrack into the top harness racing destination in North America, and we will do everything we can to ensure that continues to be the case."

While Lawson and the horse racing industry in Canada continue to fight the good fight, it is clear that the government isn't listening despite a strong history of proper procedures when it comes to COVID-19 safety. The future remains unknown, and that is torture for trainers preparing stakes horses, no less the people of Canada who are somewhat shuttered at home.