Racing ends at Rideau Carleton Raceway
The Ottawa facility is the fifth North American harness track to close since 2022.
by Debbie Little
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa, the owner and operator of Rideau Carleton Raceway in Ontario announced on Thursday (April 2) that, effective immediately, racing has ended at the Ottawa, ON five-eighths-mile oval.
“We made significant investments in racing infrastructure and adjusted our operations multiple times over the last three years; however, a sustainable path forward was not possible,” said Christine Crump, president Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Ottawa in a press release. “Many of us hold deep respect and fond memories of the racing industry but consumer preferences have changed. This is a sad time for our team members, the horse racing community and all those directly impacted. Racing at Rideau Carleton Raceway will always be remembered as an important chapter in the site’s history.”
Kawartha Downs in the Peterborough, ON area is now the only Ontario harness track open east of Toronto.
Rideau Carleton Raceway, which opened on Sept. 1, 1962, is the latest in an unfortunate string of harness tracks to close their doors in the last four years.
Pompano Park ended operations on April 17, 2022, followed two years later by Freehold Raceway on Dec. 28, 2024, with the termination of Cal Expo Harness and Fraser Downs the next year, on May 2, 2025 and Aug. 15, 2025, respectively.
Illinois’ only harness racing non-fair facility, Hawthorne Race Course, is currently in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and it’s still unclear if standardbred racing will resume at that facility in the Prairie State.
Unlike some of the municipalities that saw their racetracks closed, Ontario currently boasts 11 standardbred facilities in addition to Rideau Carleton Raceway.
Those 11 tracks — Clinton Raceway, Dresden Raceway, Flamboro Downs, Georgian Downs, Grand River Raceway, Hanover Raceway, Hiawatha Horse Park, Kawartha Downs, Leamington Raceway, The Raceway at Western Fair District, and Woodbine Mohawk Park — all had dates for 2026 announced in mid-to-late March, with Rideau Carleton Raceway being the only track not included.
In the most recent release, Andrew Gaughan, independent chair of Ontario Racing said in part, “To help ease this transition, a portion of the funding traditionally provided to Rideau Carleton Raceway will be used to establish a relocation support program, while the balance of funding will go back into purses for live horse racing at other Ontario standardbred racetracks.”
