Fort Erie creates Shipping Subsidy in response to Woodbine Race & Stay Program

Fort Erie Race Track is implementing a one-time subsidy of $300.00 CAD to facilitate the permanent relocation of thoroughbreds racing at Fort Erie levels, from Woodbine Racetrack, in response to the Woodbine Race & Stay Program.

The $300 subsidy will be available for the first 150 horses leaving Woodbine to stable at Fort Erie for the remainder of the season, who have run for a claiming price or starter allowance of $10,000 or less this year. Horses must arrive at Fort Erie before August 31, 2020. In order to qualify, horses must race twice at Fort Erie, between July 22, 2020, and the end of the season on October 13. The subsidy will be paid to the trainer that submits the application, after the horses has raced twice in Fort Erie.

Shipping subsidy policy can be viewed here, and includes more information about the program. Trainers interested in utilizing the subsidy, must notify Fort Erie’s Race Office, and complete a stall application, available in the Race Office or on our website. http://www.forterieracing.com/stall-applications.

For more information, contact Jackie or Harry in the Race Office at 905-871-3200 Ext. 3602 or Ext. 3609.

Read the news release below:

FORT ERIE – July 24, 2020 -Fort Erie announced today, a one-time subsidy of $300.00 CAD to facilitate the permanent relocation of thoroughbreds racing at Fort Erie levels, from Woodbine Racetrack.

On July 8, 2020, Woodbine Racetrack issued a policy they created, called Race and Stay Program. Woodbine states “Due to the strong demand for Woodbine stalls in 2020, any horse that leaves Woodbine to race at Fort Erie Racetrack will be required to Race and Stay for the meet. These horses will not be permitted to return to Woodbine to stable until the fall stall application in mid-October.
“Woodbine stalls are reserved for horses that race consistently at Woodbine and fill race cards on-site. Fort Erie stalls are available for horses that will be racing at Fort Erie. This does not apply to horses shipping out for a Stakes Race or a race with a purse over $30,000 CDN.”

In discussions, Woodbine has indicated they have a high demand for thoroughbred stalls, and therefor needs to encourage horses that are shipping to race at Fort Erie to stay at Fort Erie.

Woodbine further stated “If we are not maximizing the field size at both tracks, we are weakening our product and will continue to risk contributions to the purse account. In the wake of Covid-19 and fewer race days, we must maximize every opportunity to keep the purse account healthy.”

Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium’s (FELRC) Board of Directors support a recommendation of staff to create this one-time supplemental fund to support those horse people from Woodbine who take advantage of shipping and stalling for the balance of the season. “This is our way of welcoming horses that would be more competitive at Fort Erie and add to our horse supply, which directly impacts our wagering volumes,” said Jim Thibert, FELRC’s chief executive officer.

“Fort Erie Race Track is operating under the same Covid-19 stresses as other Ontario businesses,” said Tom Valiquette, FELRC’s chief operating and financial officer. “We feel this new policy would help level the playing field and costs for Woodbine stabled horses to move down to Fort Erie, which is experiencing very high-performance growth this year.”

The $300 subsidy will be available for the first 150 horses leaving Woodbine to stable at Fort Erie for the remainder of the season, who have run for a claiming price or starter allowance of $10,000 or less this year. The subsidy will be paid after the horse races twice in Fort Erie, after the program start date of July 22, 2020 to the end of the season.

More information will be available at www.FortErieRacing.com, or from Fort Erie’s Race Office.

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