by Sylene Argent
The Lakeshore Horseracing Association kicked-off another 13-race day season on Sunday, giving area horse enthusiasts and community members a chance to head down to the Leamington Raceway to responsibly bet on their favourite ponies and enjoy a day of entertainment.
For the first race day of the season, everything, for the most part, went fairly smoothly, Mark Williams, President of the Lakeshore Horse Racing Association, said. There were a few minor glitches that were quickly resolved, such as the starting car breaking down for around 20-minutes, in addition to having to host the event in the extremely hot weather.
Overall, he believed around $46,000 was bet during Sunday’s race, which made for a solid turnout. In addition, there was a good turnout of viewers up in the stands, who were pleased to spend a few hours watching some of the area’s fastest standardbreds compete.
“They love to come and bet in Leamington,” Williams said of the attendees. “It is a testament to what we are doing.”
The horsemen really supported the race day, he added, noting more entries than the minimum requirement were received. The Leamington Raceway, he continued, also has a new racing paddock available for the horses. It also boasts about its giant TV people in the stands can watch to get a closer view of the action, and the brand-new speaker system, which is improving the sound quality for the commentary before and during each race.
He noted a track record was set on Sunday, which set off an amazing pace for the rest of the series. To set a track record is nothing short of astonishing, Williams said, adding that proves how well the track is being prepared for the horses.
“Everything went well,” Williams said of Sunday’s spectacle. “All races finished up safely. That is mostly what I hope for. Everyone is welcome. Horse people are running it for horse people.”
The Lakeshore Horse Racing Association sometimes offers children’s activities on race days to create a “Family picnic atmosphere.”
For more information, or to view race day live streaming, log onto www.lakeshorehorseraceway.com