Northlands Park, horsemen agree to cancel final three Sundays at meet

Following a joint request from management at Northlands Park and the Horsemen’s Benevolent Protective Association, Horse Racing Alberta canceled the final three Sundays at the current Northlands meet that concludes Oct. 10. Horse Racing Alberta is the administrative body that manages horse racing in Alberta. The days lost are Sept. 25 and Oct. 2 and 9.

According to Mat Monaco, executive director of the HBPA, a shortage of horses was the reason for the lost days.

“We agreed with the management at Northlands that we need to give our local fans a quality product,” Monaco said. “It is a competitive market, and people want full fields to bet on. The purse money is there, so it isn’t a money issue. If there are enough horses, management has agreed to run up to 24 extra races to make up for the lost days.”