Rideau Carleton Raceway is a Canadian

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

and gambling complex located at 4837 Albion Road in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. The facility began operation in 1962 and specialises in

Standardbred 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 ...

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 ...

. In 2000, the venue introduced

slot machine A slot machine (American English), fruit machine (British English) or poker machine (Australian English and New Zealand English) is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers. Slot machines are also known pejoratively a ...

s, under the authority of the

Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, known for corporate branding purposes simply as OLG since 2006, is a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Ontario, Canada. It is responsible for the province's lotteries, charity and Aboriginal c ...

(OLG) which were expected to draw annual revenue of $130 million. The site includes a restaurant and hosts musical performances. Rideau Carleton is also the site of the Gloucester Fair (now the Capital Fair) since 1998. The raceway provides facilities for numerous charitable fundraisers and hosts annual events for several embassies. The operations at the Raceway are currently run by Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, which bought the facility in September 2017. Hard Rock holds 51% of the stock.

Harness racing

The brainchild of

James William Baskin James William Baskin (January 4, 1920 – January 8, 1999) was a Canadian politician, businessman and lumberman. He was elected to the House of Commons of Canada as a Member of the Progressive Conservative Party to represent the riding of ...

, Rideau Carleton opened for racing on 1 September 1962. The racetrack was situated on a plot of about on the outskirts of Ottawa in

Gloucester Township Gloucester Township is a Township (New Jersey), township in Camden County, New Jersey, Camden County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States census, 2010 U.S. census, the township had a total population of 64,634, reflecting an increase of ...

, only two miles from Ottawa's airport. The facilities were developed by architect and building director D'Arcy Helmer, who had previously designed several hospitals and schools in the Ottawa Valley but who had never previously visited a racetrack. Helmer drew his main inspiration from

Scioto Downs Eldorado Gaming Scioto Downs, formerly known as Scioto Downs Racino, is a horse racing track and casino in Columbus, Ohio, owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. The track has operated since 1959, and became Ohio's first racino with the ...

in Columbus, Ohio. The grandstand and clubhouse were completed at a cost of ($ in dollars), while the track itself cost $750,000. The facilities also included 12 fireproof barns plus 96 tack rooms and a restaurant for the horsepeople. Despite a successful opening, the racetrack was then plagued by bad weather, which contributed to the track going into receivership at the end of its first season. Overcoming this rocky start, Rideau Carleton celebrate its fiftieth anniversary in 2012. The racetrack at Rideau Carleton is a five-eighths mile oval with a track speed rating of 1:57.4, about average for tracks of the same dimensions. In 2017, the track had 91 live race dates scheduled; every Sunday evening except Christmas Eve plus Thursday evenings from April through October. It is open year-round for off-track betting and has simulcast facilities for betting on thoroughbred and standardbred racing at other racetracks. Most races at Rideau Carleton are for smaller purses of under $10,000. However, the track does feature several legs of the Ontario Sires Stakes program in August. Until 2012, the track also hosted the Des Smith Classic. In the 2006 renewal, featuring several of the fastest pacers of the time, Lis Mara set a Canadian record on a -mile track of 1:49.3. The record was broken in the 2011 renewal by Lis Mara's brother Lisagain, who paced the mile in 1:49.2. Although this is no longer the Canadian record, it still stands as the Rideau Carleton track record.

References

Notes

External links

rideaucarletoncasino.com - official website
{{Horse racing venues in Canada 1962 establishments in Ontario Casinos in Ontario Horse racing venues in Ontario Harness racing venues in Canada Sports venues in Ottawa Sports venues completed in 1962 Hard Rock Cafe Festival venues in Canada