July 27, 2010 – For Immediate Release to All Media

FORT ERIE, ONTARIO – The Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium (FELRC) today announced the launch of Quarter Horse Racing at the Fort Erie Race Track starting in October 2010. With the approval of its application to the Ontario Racing Commission, issued Friday, the FELRC announced the expansion of the 2010 Fort Erie meet with three additional days to introduce Quarter Horse racing to the existing 113 year old Thoroughbred racing program.

The first three Saturdays in October — October 2nd, October 9th, and October 16th — will see full day race cards of Quarter Horse racing at the historic border racetrack. The closing weekend for the meet — Saturday, October 23rd and Sunday, October 24th — will feature a mixed race card of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing as an exciting wrap-up to the 2010 season.

“It’s great to see the plans for the racing program start to come together,” said Jim Thibert, Chief Executive Officer of the FELRC. “With three additional days added to our 2010 meet we’re seeing growth and expansion of racing here at Fort Erie. Adding Quarter Horse racing brings an exciting new racing and wagering product that enhances our Thoroughbred program and we are really hoping that the Canadian and American owners and trainers of the American Quarter Horses respond with enthusiasm. to our offer to present a new venue in Canada and so close to the border of America”

“Quarter Horse racing takes sprint racing to a whole new level. Quarter Horses have records for 100 yards at less than 7 seconds, and two furlongs at less than 21. We are hoping to card some match races between Thoroughbred and Quarter Horses — that would be exciting racing action!”

A pilot project to add Quarter Horse racing to the Fort Erie meet was announced in December 2009 as part of the FELRC plan for rejuvenation of live racing at Fort Erie. “With a good supply of entries, we expect to run thirty-to-forty Quarter Horse races this October, as a test of the logistics of merging Quarter Horses into our existing Thoroughbred operations,” says Rick Cowan, Chief Operating Officer for the Fort Erie racetrack. “You can expect to hear details on purses and race conditions over the next couple of weeks.”

“This is Year One of a three year pilot project that will see Quarter Horse racing at Fort Erie through to the 2012 racing season. We’re focused on making sure that we start off right, with full cards of good racing this year. We’ll spend time at the end of year to plan how a mixed Thoroughbred-Quarter Horse meet will look for 2011 and 2012,” said Cowan.

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 The Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium (FELRC) is comprised of representatives from Fort Erie Economic Development & Tourism Corporation (FEEDTC), the Town of Fort Erie, and the Ontario Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA), a not-for-profit organization responsible for operating the century old Fort Erie racetrack for the next three years.