The 2008 harness racing season at Hanover Raceway wraps up on this afternoon with a special starting time of 1:30 pm
While the season is concluding on the track, there are a number of pending items at Hanover Raceway that will address their future.
From a betting & wagering standpoint, General Manager Gord Dougan states the ” handle ” is down this year, continuing a recent trend downwards.
Dougan states the level of betting is the best gauge to determine how successful the track has been from one year to the next.
However, betting at the Hanover facility overall; be it for live races, simulcast racing or at the Ontario Lottery & Gaming slots, is on the increase
That increase means it’s very likely that the O.L.G will extend their agreement with Hanover Raceway to operate at the facility
Dougan is very confident that agreement will be reached which in turn will allow the race track to approach the banks for financing for additional capital projects.
In recent years, there have been massive improvements at the track, almost a million dollars worth, highlighted by the Video Scoreboard which is tagged at about $ 250,000.
On the horizon, with funding to be secured, Hanover Raceway will construct a $ 4 million dollar Community Hall on the property.
The Hall is designed to be multifunctional, capable of hosting big crowds for major race dates like the annual ” Dream of Glory ” plus be functional for other events like the annual Fair, trade shows, weddings and more.
