A local MPP is asking the province for a fair deal for small horse tracks like Leamington Raceway.
Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Percy Hatfield stood at Queen's Park during Question Period on Monday and asked the Finance Minister Vic Fideli when he will insist "that the little guys in horse racing get a fair deal from the racing industry?" Hatfield said that secret deals are being made with larger race tracks but Leamington Raceway is being left out.
"The movers and shakers are being looked after but the little guys, the people who breed, race and train at the smaller tracks, are forgotten," Hatfield said.
He added that tracks in London and Hamilton can offer purses of $6,000 a race but Leamington only gets $3,500.
Minister Fideli said the horse racing industry is very important to Ontario and the OLG continues to provide funding to the track in Leamington to support live racing under their current agreements.
Hatfield argued that every sport needs a farm system and a training ground and a healthy horse racing industry needs the smaller tracks to be successful. He said patrons support the 13 racing dates in Leamington and questions why the minister won't tell those pulling the racing strings to negotiate a fair deal for Leamington so the local racing industry can survive.
Fideli fired back by saying that the NDP helped the Liberals destroy the horse racing industry in 2012. He added that only the opposition PCs at the time stood up for the horse racing sector back then.
Negotiations with the province to preserve horse racing in Windsor-Essex hit a snag nearly two weeks ago.
Leamington Raceway also faced possible closure a couple of years ago.
