Disappointment is being expressed after the Lakeshore Horse Racing Association learned it will not be able to stage as many races in 2026 as it did in 2025.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has approved 12 standardbred horse racing dates in 2026 at Leamington Raceway.
The Lakeshore Horse Racing Association held 13 harness horse races in 2025 and had applied for even more this year.
Lakeshore Horse Racing Association member Tom Bain says they are a bit disappointed but all of the smaller tracks in Ontario have been cut back one day, and some of them two days.
"We were caught off guard because we had applied for more dates," he says. "We felt with our betting going up and attendance figures going up that we may receive another day or two to race because of the success we have shown. So, we were caught off guard."
Bain says horse racing is terrific for the local economy.
"It creates a lot of jobs here in the area. You're not just talking jobs in the horse racing industry directly; they have to buy all their feed products from the local farmers, and it creates work for the local veterinarians, blacksmiths included," he says.
The season runs for three months and will open Sunday, August 9, taking place every Sunday until October 25.
Post time is 1 p.m.
Leamington Raceway is located at 194 Erie Street North in Leamington.