Fort Erie Racetrack cancels live racing for 2009

Maureen · Postby **Maureen** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 5:18 pm

Nordic Gaming has announced that they will not be offering live racing for the 2009 season. 190 employees have been given lay off notices effective March 31, 2009.

Sad day for the Fort.

Fair Play · Postby **Fair Play** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 5:23 pm

Ouch. That is very sad.

Megiste · Postby **Megiste** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:09 pm

Tragic. Another historic part of racing history gone.

nferro9925 · Postby **nferro9925** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:37 pm

At this rate thoroughbred racing will be limited to maybe 3-4 "big" tracks
and that's it - the little guys will be sol :cry:

reenci · Postby **reenci** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:59 pm

very sad...i ran there in early 80's .......beautiful track.

K~2 · Postby **K~2** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 8:03 pm

They haven't yet announced no racing in 2009, but it will most likely be canceled.

Official Press Release from Nordic.

Sparafucile · Postby **Sparafucile** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 8:04 pm

Nordic Gaming was never interested in horse racing. They just tolerated it so that they could get their slot revenue and management fee. What is going to happen to the Horsemen's share of the slot revenue now that they have cancelled racing? I bet Nordic Gaming will petition the government that they be given the horsemen's share as well as their own share.

Fort Erie survived for over a hundred years. With just a little sincere efffort on Nordic Gaming's part, with respect to promotion, this track could have easily survived another 100 years.

Stormchaser · Postby **Stormchaser** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 8:38 pm

I personally think they will still go. Why would they announce March 31 layoffs if there was not a chance for it to still be a go for 2009. If you are going to shut the doors do it now. I think its a waiting game now and it may still float, it may be a scare tactic for the powers to be but I could be wrong (its happened before!). :roll:

wilf · Postby **wilf** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 4:46 am

Fort Erie Racetrack is owned by a huge Jewish owned company who are just posturing for a better bargaining position with the Ontario Government. An Arabic Group are building a Nascar track only one mile up the highway, let's hope that they can get along! If the owners could run a business at all then the track would be laughing but the administration are tired old racetrackers just waiting around to retire,it's ridiculous. Woodbine horsemen use the Fort on a large scale and pull millions out of the purse structure as it has cheaper racing and a dirt surface as opposed to the strange polytrack at Woodbine. The racetrack is only 20 minutes drive from Niagara Falls which just happens to be North America's biggest tourist attraction and yet they have no idea up there that the track exists. There can be no slots operation without live racing and that means 70% of nothing for the Ontario Government. Let's see how the chess game plays out over the next few months,it will be interesting.

Maureen · Postby **Maureen** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:16 am

Have to agree with you about the management, Wilf. A lot of the problems stem from their inability to recognize what a great tourist attraction Fort Erie could be.

I also agree that this is just a ploy to get more money out of the government. The 300 million plan didn't work, so let's announce a layoff of almost 200 people and tell folks there will be no live racing in 2009.

The man that owns the parent company is on the list of the 100 richest people in the world. Perhaps he could take some of that money and hire some people that would promote the track for what it is-a great little jewel of a TB track. As our group found out, the stock answer whenever we wanted to do a promotion for the track was 'if it doesn't cost us any money, go ahead!' You have to spend money to make money.

Linda_d · Postby **Linda_d** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 8:00 am

I think that the Seneca casino in Buffalo may have really put a dent in the slot revenues in Ft Erie. However, I believe that the Buffalo casino has been closed by litagation which would have been "good news" for the Ft Erie slots except that the downturn in the economy seems to have seriously impacted gaming in the Buffalo/WNY area. The two big Seneca casinos in Niagara Falls, NY and Salamanca, NY have laid off staff.

I haven't heard if Presque Isle in Erie, PA has been impacted by the economic down turn but I imagine it has as well. A lot of people have a lot less disposable income these days.

Fair Play · Postby **Fair Play** » Fri Jan 16, 2009 9:09 am

Anyone know anything new?

DansApproval · Postby **DansApproval** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:52 pm

The town has made an offer to purchase the track http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/573786

AscotStud · Postby **AscotStud** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 12:57 am

You gotta love Nordic, they get offered $35mil for a track they want to close, and they still want to hum and haw over it. 1500-2500 peoples jobs are on the line and they want to bluff this thing to the river.
If the city does buy the track hopefully they clean house and start running it properly. $1 hot dogs and pops everyday!!!!(instead of just holidays). No more $6 draught beer and $5 sausages, market the place more effectively to Niagara Falls tourists. As for the racing side of things I won't even get started, I could write until this mare I'm watching foals.

Maureen · Postby **Maureen** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 5:19 am

You're right, Ascot. A MAJOR housecleaning is required, but it is my understanding that existing management and the Economic Development Committee are quite buddy buddy. I hope the OLG and the Province (who still have to provide the money to do this) think very carefully about this proposal, and put numerous conditions in place.