Wagering numbers continue to climb at Fort Erie Race Track

With a handful of live race dates left on the calendar, things are winding down at the Fort Erie Race Track for the season.

Looking back through the 2023 race cards, James Culic, the track’s corporate communications manager, noted that both wagering and attendance saw considerable jumps from the previous year.

“The big story from this season is that our wagering numbers continued to climb steadily all year, and we’re currently up 48 per cent from last year,” Culic said, and added that with the exception of a couple of very rainy days, every race date this season has seen wagering grow over last year.

Through the end of August last year, the track had done a combined $19.7 million in wagering, while this year they had already topped $29.2 million by Aug. 28.

“That doesn’t even include our incredible Prince of Wales Stakes day, where we did another $3.4 million in wagering, which is a new single-day record for the track,” Culic said.

Aside from the wagering numbers, the track’s special events also helped to bring in big crowds. The ever-popular Wiener dog races pushed the track to its capacity limits, with about 10,000 people packing into the track and filling the grandstands to watch the action.

“What’s really great about our Wiener Dog Races is that a family on a tight budget can still have a fun day out,” said Culic, who added there’s no cost for parking and admission.

. “If people want to come that day and place some wagers, or grab a bite from the food trucks, that’s great, but with inflation and everything else going on, we know that money is tight for a lot of households, so we’re proud to be able to still offer a big event where the whole family can come out and have a great time and watch the Wiener dogs race without spending a penny if they don’t want to.”

Alongside the Wiener dogs and the basset hounds, the track is looking to add a third breed of dog racing to the calendar next season.

While entertaining the crowds with live racing and concerts is the track’s primary goal, Culic said track staff do their best to be a good community partner.

“Whether it’s things like the Rick Shular Memorial Race, where we donate to local charities in his name, or giving prizes to the Chamber of Commerce for their charity auction, or even just putting a float in the Santa Claus Parade, it’s important for us that we remain connected to the community on a local level,” he said.

Before things wrap up for the season, the track still has one friendly event left. Track-O-Lantern, a brand new event, will bring spooky fun to the track on Oct. 9. Kids in costume can come trick-or-treat around the facility.

“Halloween costumes are expensive, so as a parent, it’s nice to be able to get your money’s worth, instead of just using it once on Oct. 31,” said Culic. “It’s also nice to be able to offer a safe environment for kids to trick-or-treat without having to cross the street and worry about cars or any of that stuff.”

Track-O-Lantern kicks off at 1 p.m. on Oct. 9, and live racing continues every Monday and Tuesday at 1 p.m. through Oct. 17.