They’re in the hands of the starter… and therrrrrrre they go, off and pacing.
Patrons of Georgian Downs in Innisfil have an extra reason to visit this weekend, and to step outside from the casino; Saturday marks the start of harness racing season, and fans can count on many evenings of excitement as they get their racing fix.
After several years of uncertainty, those thundering hooves return to the Georgian track for racing cards throughout the summer, with post times slated for 7:15 p.m. Saturday and Tuesday nights, 6 p.m. Sundays, till August 30.
And just this weekend, there is lots to look forward to, according to Bruce Barbour, Executive Director of the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation`s racing division.
"On opening weekend, we will be featuring the Alliance Spring Series (small stakes) for non-winners of $5,000 going for pacers on Saturday and trotters on Sunday", Barbour told Barrie Today from his office in Dundas.
"We will be featuring 12 nights of Ontario Sire Stakes races over the summer months. (What`s more), the Earl Rowe Invitation Trot will go on Saturday, August 27 for a purse of $100,000 plus.``
Racing has taken some knocks over the years, with government cutbacks that caused owners, trainers and drivers to desert the business altogether, before the Wynne government and representatives of the sport came to an understanding of the financial role racing plays in the province.
"The Ontario government now makes available $100 million a year through the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) for racing," said Barbour. "Although racing is not what it once was, it has now stabilized. At Georgian, we have less racing than in the past, but have secure funding for purses through 2018."
Another aspect of going to the track is the sense of being able to travel to various tracks throughout North America through Off-Track Betting, something Barbour acknowledges creates some added excitement with events such as the Queen`s Plate on the Canada Day long weekend, and next weekend`s Belmont Stakes in New York.
"We will see a bit of a bump on our live handle and customers on June 11 for the Belmont, but not as large as last year. With no Triple Crown in play, the interest softens," he said
Once again, the action gets underway at 7:15 p.m., with the first of 10 races on the night. Georgian Downs is located at 7485 5th Side Road, Innisfil, between McKay and Innisfil Beach Roads.
