This year, Leamington Raceway had its best season — and as the races get more popular, the economic impact of the raceway on the area grows too.
It attracted between 600 and 1,000 people on race days this past summer at the Leamington Agricultural Society fairgrounds, compared to about 500 in 2023.
They also posted bets of between $50,000 and $60,000 each race day compared to $40,000 and $50,000 the previous year.
Tom Bain is a member of the Lakeshore executive for Leamington Raceway. It’s been in operation for about 10 years.
Bain says after Windsor Raceway closed in 2012, there were only about three horses at the stable in Lakeshore where they rent stalls. Now, because of the demand for harness horse racing, all 14 stalls are filled and there is a waiting list to get in.
He says that’s an example of the economic spinoff benefits Leamington Raceway creates.
WATCH: Leamington Raceway grows in popularity
It was a record year for the Leamington Raceway, with as many as 1,000 visitors per race coming out to enjoy the action — and betting is up. The CBC’s Dale Molnar has more.
“They get the money not only from the stalls that they rent out, but they grow hay, they grow crops and then sell them to the local horsemen,” said Bain.
Bain says people are coming in from London and Windsor and some from the U.S. on Sundays to watch the races.
Chris Hanna and his wife Raquel King-Hanna of Windsor attend races regularly in Leamington. Their families have both been involved in harness horse racing and they love going.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize how fun it can be to go and watch the horse races,” said Hanna. “If they’ve never done it before. They don’t know what they’re missing out on.”
And after the races they also spend money in the area, going shopping and to restaurants, another example of economic spinoffs.
“My favourite place we go to is Colasantis. I love the plants. My home is covered in plants,” said King-Hanna, adding they also might go to restaurants like The Grove in Kingsville or The Salty Dog in Amherstburg.
Leamington Raceway had applied to Ontario Racing to add race dates next year to the 13 they already have, but have been denied.
Bain says they will continue to push for more dates.
“We keep knocking on that door. We’ve been so successful in that we broke our attendance records, we broke our betting records. …Sometimes with the betting, we break them week after week and things were so great with attendance that we broke the 2,000 mark and that’s more than Toronto or London get combined,” he said.
They broke the 2,000 mark for attendance on the day they held wiener dog races. Bain says the success of Leamington Raceway makes them the number one track in the region.
The next season begins in August.