The Lakeshore Horse Racing Association has signed with Ontario Racing after all.
Group member Tom Bain said the members had no choice if they wanted to keep racing. Bain said the province gave them an ultimatum to either sign the governance deal or go under.
He said the Leamington Raceway received some money to keep operating but not what local horse people were looking for. Bain added the horse track in Leamington got a lot less than what other race tracks in Ontario are getting.
He said the new deal saves about 2,000 local horse industry jobs.
The deadline to join was April 1. The Lakeshore Horse Racing Association signed the deal the night before. Members rejected the deal March 27 because they feared losing control over purse money, race dates, and if racing would continue at Leamington Raceway.
"Our big fear is that if we sign, it gives total control to the Woodbine Entertainment Group," Bain said last week. "They would have the right to stop racing in Leamington simply by a decision of their board and we have not even one member on the board representing small tracks."
