Fort Erie Reports On-Track Wagering Up 23 Percent Opening Day
Opening Day at Fort Erie Race Track in Ontario was a galloping success on Tuesday evening thanks to a combination of perfect weather, a roaring crowd, and eight exciting races. The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the Summer Solstice Cup, which featured a packed field of 11 Thoroughbreds hitting the historic dirt oval.
Riding atop Ruby's Ghost, jockey Melanie Pinto had her work cut out for her after drawing the 11th post in the gate, but a late burst with an eighth of a mile left sent her charging up from third place and into the lead at the finish line.
'I was a little concerned about being in the 11 post because I knew we would be pretty far out and I wasn't sure how to set up the speed to get to the inside, or if we were going to get stuck out,' said Pinto after the ride. 'But luckily we broke clean, had a really good trip, and it all worked out.'
Advertisement
The connections of Pinto, owner Charles Fipke, and trainer Michaela Neubauer have been a longtime winning trio at Fort Erie. Having been together for so many years, Pinto said they feel like a family.
'Definitely,' agreed Neubauer. 'Melanie is like my little sister.'
The fulsome racing fields attracted plenty of bettors to the wagering windows at the track, with on-track wagering hitting $112,000 for the day, an increase of 23 per cent over last year.
Including remote wagering, Opening Day at Fort Erie Race Track reached a handle of $1.7 million. That's a decline from last year's $1.8 million (according to Equibase charts), which was achieved despite canceling the final race on the opening day card due to weather in 2024.
Live racing continues through June at Fort Erie, including the track's busiest day of the year, Father's Day, on June 15, where two more cup races will be on the card, alongside a Farmer's Market. It's the track's first Sunday card, which means horses will be hitting the dirt at a special 12:15 p.m. post time.
For a full list of the track's race dates and post times, visit www.forterieracing.com
This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on May 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dobson, Paul Appointed To Equibase Management Committee
Dobson, Paul Appointed To Equibase Management Committee originally appeared on Paulick Report. Everett Dobson, the chair of The Jockey Club, and Justin Paul, senior vice president of operations for Churchill Downs Inc., have been appointed to serve on the Management Committee of Equibase Company LLC, it was announced today by Equibase Company chair Ian D. who succeeded Stuart S. Janney III as chair of The Jockey Club on July 30, also fills Janney's seat on the Equibase Management Committee. 'We want to express our deep appreciation to Stuart for his dedicated and untiring efforts on behalf of Equibase,' Highet said. 'His extensive industry experience, his integrity, and his leadership have helped shape many of the initiatives we have undertaken, and we are extremely grateful for his support during his tenure.'Dobson has been a member of The Jockey Club since 2014. He served as a steward for the organization from August 2017 until August 2021 and was elected again in 2024. A longtime owner and breeder of Thoroughbreds, Dobson serves on the executive committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and is a past chair of the American Graded Stakes Committee. In addition, Dobson serves as a member of the Breeders' Cup and is a trustee of the Keeneland Association. 'With his personal and professional involvement in Thoroughbred breeding and racing, Everett maintains a deep passion for the betterment of our sport,' Highet continued. 'He now brings his vast knowledge and experience to this committee, and we look forward to working with him.'Paul joined Churchill Downs in 2015 as senior director of Legal Affairs and was promoted two years later to vice president and associate general counsel. He was elevated to senior vice president overseeing operations for Churchill in 2021 and has more than two decades of experience including legal work, engineering, management, and business operations. Paul fills a board seat being vacated by Happy Broadbent, who had served on the board since 2011.'We thank Happy for his long and dedicated service to our board, and we welcome Justin' Highet said. 'Justin has an extensive background in legal, engineering, and business management, and we look forward to his contributions to the committee.'The Equibase Management Committee is composed of members from each of the company's two general partners – The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America (TRA). The TRA representatives are Peter Berube, Christopher McErlean, David O'Rourke, Justin Paul, Mike Rogers, and Josh Rubinstein. Besides Highet, Dobson, and Paul, The Jockey Club representatives are Louis A. Cella, C. Steven Duncker, and Nick Company is a partnership between subsidiaries of The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America and serves as the Thoroughbred industry's official database. Through its website and mobile applications, Equibase offers a comprehensive array of free statistical information as well as premium handicapping products and reports in support of the North American Thoroughbred racing industry. Additional information is available at This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Aug 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ireland: Privately-Owned Thurles Racecourse Closed
Ireland: Privately-Owned Thurles Racecourse Closed originally appeared on Paulick Report. Thurles Racecourse, the only privately owned racecourse in Ireland, has closed with immediate effect, reports Racecourse holds both flat and jumps races, and provides the course for schooling in the winter, reports Racing Post. The track held its first races in 1732, and has been owned by the Molony family for over a century. The remainder of its race fixtures have been canceled."We're going to enjoy this time together and relax now the decision is made and the news is out before we consider our options," track owner Riona Molony said in a statement."Horse racing is part of the fabric of our family, and we have been very fortunate to have made so many great friends within the industry over the years. My family and I look forward to going racing with you again, as spectators." According to Racing Post, this is the first racecourse to close in Ireland since Tralee in more at This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Aug 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Boston Globe
18 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Four things to know about new Red Sox pitcher Dustin May
Here are four things to know about Boston's new pitcher: May has struggled this season with the Dodgers The good news? May is in the midst of the healthiest season of his career, logging 19 games so far in 2025 and surpassing 100 innings for the first time in the big leagues. Prior to this year, the most innings he logged in a single season was 56.0 in 2020. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The bad news? May's healthiest season with the Dodgers has also been his worst so far. Advertisement May, who will turn 28 in September, is 6-7 with a 4.85 ERA over 19 games (18 starts). He has struck out 97 batters while also walking 43 in 104 innings. His final start in a Dodgers uniform was against the Red Sox at Fenway Park on July 27 in which he allowed four runs over five innings in BOS - Alex Bregman 2-run HR (13) 📏 Distance: 400 ft 💨 EV: 99.6 mph 📐 LA: 30° ⚾️ 84.8 mph sweeper (LAD - RHP Dustin May) 🏟️ Would be out in 30/30 MLB parks LAD (3) @ BOS (4) 🔻 5th — MLB Home Runs🚀 (@MLBHRs_) A starter for most of his career with the Dodgers, May Advertisement Of the 82 pitchers with a minimum of 100 innings, May's 4.85 ERA ranks 73rd — while his walk rate of 9.5 percent ranks 72nd. A pending free agent, May is expected to slot in near the back end of the starting rotation behind Garrett Crochet, Lucas Giolito, and Brayan Bello. May was once one of the top young starters in baseball Prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery in July 2023, May sported a career ERA of 3.10 — even earning the Opening Day start during the 2020 season with Clayton Kershaw sidelined due to injury. An imposing figure at 6-foot-6, May may not boast elite swing-and-miss stuff after several procedures, but his sinker and sweeper can induce ground balls and limit the damage doled out at the plate. Although his workload with the Dodgers wasn't exactly taxing due to injuries, May sported a sub-3.00 ERA in three of those six years in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, all three of those campaigns were before May's latest string of injury woes. He's dealt with multiple injuries on the mound May is no stranger to the injury bug, with his promising career in Los Angeles dealt several blows to a variety of elbow ailments and other freak accidents. May has already undergone two Tommy John surgeries, first going under the knife for the major procedure in 2021 after logging just five starts with Los Angeles that year (2.74 ERA). He returned in August 2022, pitching six games and finishing 2–3 with a 4.50 ERA before back tightness ended his season the following month. May looked as though he regained his form in 2023, going 4-1 with a 2.63 ERA over nine starts. But, more elbow pain prompted another Tommy John revision surgery in July 2023. Advertisement 'It felt amazing just to be back,' May told during spring training 'It was really, really heavy. I'm alive. I'm glad I'm here. Just a huge excitement, like a breath of fresh air. Like a new beginning, kind of.' A salad forced May into emergency surgery May's hopes of returning in 2024 were dashed last summer when he suffered a torn esophagus while rehabbing back from his latest Tommy John procedure. May told 'As soon as the water hit the salad in my throat, just full body-on-fire,' May said that he was later rushed into surgery in Phoenix that night around midnight, with the procedure to repair the tear in his esophagus completed around 7 a.m. He had to spend 11 days in the hospital while recovering from the ordeal. '[The salad] just got lodged in my throat a certain way. Instead of going down, it went out,' May said. 'I would have been six feet under that night.' Advertisement Conor Ryan can be reached at
