from Western Fair Media Relations
London, ON — Preparations are well underway for the resumption of live harness racing in London, Ontario, where the track will now be known as The Raceway at the Western Fair District.
That’s not the only thing new and exciting for fans when the track opens for its 51st season of live racing on Friday (October 14). The new schedule will see racing four days a week, Mondays and Tuesdays with a 3:35 p.m. post time and Fridays and Saturdays which have a 7:05 p.m. start.
Opening night features include a commemorative t-shirt giveaway with the shirt showing the new company logo and a chance to compete for cash in the ‘Money Machine Madness.’
A new wager will be unveiled on opening night, a Pick-5 which will replace the early Pick-4. It will be a $1 base wager offered at a 15 percent takeout rate. If no one is successful at selecting all five winners, 75 percent of that day’s net pool will be carried over to the next race day.
Major events before Christmas include the Trot Canada National Handicapping Championship on November 12 and the C$200,000 (est.) Forest City Pace for older mares on November 26. The Forest City has been moved back a month this year due to scheduling conflicts with the Breeders Crown and OSS Super Final night at Woodbine.
The Raceway’s management expect another strong on-track product this season with a daily purse structure averaging almost C$85,000.
“It’s a new beginning for us here with a new name and new look,” said Racing and Gaming Manager Ian Fleming. “It’s always an exciting time of year and we look forward to another strong season. We are also pleased to further enhance our wagering menu with the addition of the Pick-5 which should offer added value for our customers.”
The daily wagering profile at Western Fair will now feature: Win, Place Show–all races; Daily Doubles– first 2 races, last 2 races; Exactors–all races; Triactors–all races; Superfectas (20 cent minimum)–all races; Win-4 (20 cent minimum)–races 9-12 (based on 12-race card); Pick-5 ($1 minimum)–races 3-7.
The condition sheets for the first few cards are now available through this link.