by Greg Blanchard, Raceway Manager

London, ON — With the absence of a couple of major tracks on the Friday night schedule, The Raceway at Western Fair District took full advantage putting up a handle of $536,725 – the highest single night total in more than a decade.

A pair of guaranteed pool pick-4 wagers and a large carryover into the late Super Hi-5 helped spur the large pari-mutuel pools.

It was a big start to the 2014 season for the London oval and marks the fourth time in the last five programs that The Raceway has topped the $400,000 mark in handle.

“That is just an amazing number for us to put up, especially on Friday which is traditionally our lightest night in terms of wagering,” said Racing and Gaming Manager Greg Blanchard. “With a couple of the major tracks like Woodbine and Northfield not racing, it presented an opportunity and it is encouraging to see our customers respond.”