Horse racing fans gather at Leamington Raceway for the first race day of the season, September 7, 2014. (Photo courtesy of Cordell Green)Horse racing fans gather at Leamington Raceway for the first race day of the season, September 7, 2014. (Photo courtesy of Cordell Green)
Windsor

Fourth Season A Hit At Leamington Raceway

Horse racing enthusiasts continue to make Leamington Raceway a destination.

The raceway concluded its fourth season on Sunday, and the sport continues to draw a following for people in southwestern Ontario.

Tom Bain of the Lakeshore Horse Racing Association says the turnout this season has been beyond anything he had hoped.

"The word is unbelievable," says Bain, who is also Essex County warden and the mayor of Lakeshore. "The crowds were out, we've had 13 racing dates and all 13 they packed the grandstand top and bottom."

Bain says betting for the final race day of the season, despite the chilly and damp weather, was about $40,000, which rivaled the record betting for the raceway's opening day this August.

Betting overall was up for the season, says Bain, based on the attendance figures.

"Our attendance certainly is up, and the betting is up over 30% compared to last year," says Bain. "I'd say probably our attendance is up 25 to 30% also."

Bain says the quality of the racing product had a lot to do with the tremendous public response to the season. Racers have been brought in from as far away as London and across southwestern Ontario, and Bain says it's showing at the betting window. Live betting is steadier at Leamington than at similar tracks across the region, Bain says.

With the success of this season now in the rear-view mirror, Bain is looking forward to next year and is hoping to expand on that success.

"If we could bump up from 13 to 15 or even a few more, we'd like to increase our days," says Bain.

The racing association plans to sit down within the next few weeks to break down the season and see where things went well and where improvement may be needed.

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