The Charlottetown Driving Park (CDP), located in

Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in ...

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...

, Canada is a

harness racing Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, or spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australi ...

track for racing

standardbred horse The Standardbred is an American horse breed best known for its ability in harness racing, where members of the breed compete at either a trot or pace. Developed in North America, the Standardbred is recognized worldwide, and the breed can trace i ...

History

The CDP opened on October 2, 1889, at a site along the west bank of the Hillsborough River in the rural community of Parkdale (amalgamated into Charlottetown in 1996). The facility soon established itself as one of the premiere race tracks in eastern Canada. The track is an oval dirt surface standardbred race course. Its original judge's stand built in 1889 still stands on the inner field, having been restored in 1999. The starting gate, dating to 1948 and the first of its kind in Canada, was also restored to operational use in 1999. During the third week of August, the CDP hosts "

Old Home Week Old Home Week or Old Home Day is a practice that originated in the New England region of the United States similar to a harvest holiday or festival. In its beginning in the 19th–20th century it involved a municipal effort to invite former resid ...

", Prince Edward Island's annual provincial agricultural exhibition running 15 racing programs over 9 days. A newer tradition since 1960, "Old Home Week" culminates in the running of the "Gold Cup and Saucer" finale at the end of the exhibition - a race which has drawn celebrities and royalty and locals alike. It is one of Canada's premiere harness racing events and draws record breaking crowds every year. The CDP grandstand originally housed a restaurant and enclosed and open viewing areas for both winter and temperate season racing. In 1990, the adjacent

Charlottetown Civic Centre The Eastlink Centre (formerly known as the Charlottetown Civic Centre) is a combined hockey/basketball arena and trade and convention facility located in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. History The facility's original name was the ...

was built onto the CDP complex. A fire in the early 1990s among the wood-constructed horse stables led to the building of many new concrete stables, although urban development pressures around the CDP site may lead to horse owners being forced to practice their animals at another site on the outskirts of Charlottetown, leaving the CDP as primarily a race facility. Today, the track is used also as a training facility for many horses and employs over 50 trainers, grooms, and horse people. The roof of the CDP grandstand was heavily damaged by

Hurricane Juan A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

on September 29, 2003. This development is believed to have spurred the CDP's redevelopment by the provincial government into a so-called

racino A racino is a combined race track and casino. In some cases, the gambling is limited to slot machines, but many locations are beginning to include table games such as blackjack, poker, and roulette. In 2003, Joe Bob Briggs described the econo ...

Red Shores Racetrack and Casino

Faced with declining revenues for race betting, the provincial government looked at options for redeveloping the CDP. Following damage to the facility by Hurricane Juan, the government entered into an agreement with the

Atlantic Lottery Corporation The Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) (French: Société des loteries de l'Atlantique), branded as simply Atlantic Lottery or Loto Atlantique, is a Canadian organization that provides government-regulated and responsible lottery products in Atlan ...

and have been redeveloping the CDP with an improved track, lighting and a gaming facility containing Electronic Gaming Devices (EGD); such facilities are commonly termed

s. The gaming area is referred to as an Entertainment Centre, the name of the entire facility was referred to as the Charlottetown Driving Park Entertainment Centre (CDPEC) but in mid 2009 the names of the Charlottetown and Summerside facilities were rebranded as Red Shores Racetrack and Casino. The gaming floor in Charlottetown has 208 slot machines; including 40 stand-alone progressive slots, four linked progressives, a self-serve simulcast betting area and five Texas Hold 'Em Poker tables featuring a Royal Flush Progressive Jackpot and two blackjack tables. Summerside has 40 slot machines and two Texas Hold 'Em poker tables. The CDPEC held the two biggest outdoor concerts ever on PEI. In 2006, hosting the Black Eyed Peas, Pussycat Dolls and others. Aerosmith and Cheap Trick, among others, then played the venue in the summer of 2007. Today Red Shores racetrack and Casino calls itself "Atlantic Canada's Fastest Racetrack" and is the centerpiece of Prince Edward Island's harness racing industry.

External links

Charlottetown Driving Park Entertainment Centre - official website
{{coord, 46, 14, 46, N, 63, 6, 54, W , region:CA_type:landmark , display=title Horse racing venues in Canada Harness racing venues in Canada Sports venues in Prince Edward Island Sport in Charlottetown