Fort Erie Race Track
Clash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP  Fort Erie Race Track logo | |
| Location | 230 Catherine Street Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada L2A 5N9 |
|---|---|
| Owned by | Carl Paladino, Joe Mosey and Joel Castle |
| Date opened | June 16, 1897 |
| Course type | Flat / Thoroughbred |
| Notable races | Prince of Wales Stakes (Restricted) |
Official website | |
Fort Erie Race Track is a horse racing facility in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada built by the Fort Erie Jockey Club and inaugurated on June 16, 1897. The racetrack is often referred to as "the border oval" because of the track's proximity (barely a mile as the crow flies) to the U.S. border.[1]
Fort Erie Race Track was at one time owned by the Cella family, who owned Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. They sold it in 1952 to renowned Canadian horseman E. P. Taylor.[2] The owner of Windfields Farm, Taylor played a key role in the development of the track. He was responsible for the creation of the Canadian Triple Crown with the second leg of the series, the Prince of Wales Stakes, being the track's most important annual event.
In June 2012 it was announced that the Fort Erie Race Track would close at the end of the year following the decision of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation that slot machines would be removed from the track.[3]
The track had inked a one-year transition funding deal with the province in early 2013, which allowed it to open and run the 2013 season.[4]
In November 2013 plans were unveiled by the Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium for the track to host a festival meet around the theme of the Chinese Year of the Horse, with the Prince of Wales Stakes running sometime in July. The plan also called for horse training to begin in late April, followed by a point-based racing tournament running through early August. Racing would continue on until early October, with a total of 400 races across the season. The Year of The Horse racing festival proposal now awaits government approval.[5][6]
A consortium led by American businessmen Carl Paladino, Joel Castle and Joe Mosey purchased the race track in August 2014.[7] Paladino stated that he had planned to invest in the track to capitalize on the construction of Canadian Motor Speedway, but that the speedway's status in development hell (which Paladino blamed on the Liberal Party of Ontario's opposition to an exit ramp off the Queen Elizabeth Way for the speedway) led him to consider selling off the track had the Liberals won the 2018 election.[8] (The Conservative Party won that election, with the Liberals finishing a distant third behind the New Democrats.)
References
^ "Province taking steps to support Fort Erie Racetrack". St. Catherine Herald. March 4, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
^ "Fort Erie worth saving". Calgary Herald. August 26, 1980. Retrieved 2012-06-06.
^ "Fort Erie to close permanently at end of this year". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 2012-06-06.
^ http://www.bulletnewsniagara.ca/2013/10/11/breaking-news-fort-erie-race-track-not-sustainable-government-report-concludes/
^ http://www.bulletnewsniagara.ca/2013/11/29/could-year-of-the-horse-festival-provide-fort-erie-race-track-with-a-new-lease-on-life/
^ http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news-story/4239095-race-track-unveils-festival-meet-plans/
^ http://bulletnewsniagara.ca/index.php?p=Sections&id=1941
^ Fink, James (April 11, 2018). "Paladino may sell Fort Erie Race Track property". Buffalo Business First. American City Business Journals. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
Coordinates: 42°55′7″N 78°56′7″W / 42.91861°N 78.93528°W / 42.91861; -78.93528
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