Hastings Park announced Dec. 5 that it would cease conducting Thoroughbred racing, ending more than 130 years of racing at the British Columbia venue.
Hastings Park typically races from spring to fall, and concluded its most recent meet in October. No horses are currently stabled there.
The track's announcement follows a Nov. 27 letter from the provincial government that horse racing would stop receiving any share of slot machine revenue effective Jan. 31, 2026.
READ: Hastings Park to Lose Slots Revenue Starting Jan. 31
Hastings Park began slot machine gaming in 2008 as part of an initiative to expand gaming in the western Canadian province. Because the slots would cannibalize handle at the track, a portion of the gaming revenue was used to bolster horse racing purses. That funding, long viewed as essential to the economics of racing in British Columbia, was estimated at CA$8 million to CA$10 million per year.
Wayne Odegard, regional vice president for Great Canadian Entertainment, which has operated Hastings Park since 2004 and leases the facility from the City of Vancouver, said of the termination of racing in a release, "This was an extremely difficult decision, especially given the historical legacy of Hastings Racecourse in the local community and its importance to the province's racing industry. Unfortunately, this is strictly a business decision based on a lack of economic feasibility to move forward with another season of horse racing at Hastings.
"We are incredibly thankful for our dedicated team members, racing participants and fan base for their support and patronage for so many years."
The racetrack closure will not impact the operation of the casino and simulcast racebook at the facility, the Hastings Park operator noted.
The developments in British Columbia come at a time when other governments elsewhere are considering decoupling casinos from racetracks or ending support programs. Casinos are more profitable than racetrack operations, and some legislators view revenue from gaming that supports horse racing as a subsidy ripe for reduction or elimination, despite the industry's economic and agricultural footprint.
A 1/ST Racing-backed initiative to decouple casinos from racetrack operations in Florida was defeated last year amid opposition from other Florida Thoroughbred racing and breeding stakeholders, but it is expected to be debated again during the next session. Opponents of the legislation point to the demise of the greyhound, Standardbred, and Quarter Horse racing and breeding industries after decoupling was allowed for those racing sports.
The closure of Hastings, the final significant Thoroughbred-racing facility in British Columbia and a fixture since 1889, leaves the province's breeding and racing industries facing a bleak future. Absent a revival of racing there, many owners, trainers, and breeders may need to seek opportunities elsewhere.
One of the closest tracks to Vancouver is Emerald Downs, approximately a three-hour drive south into the United States, near Seattle, Wash.
Over the decades, Hastings has hosted many of the province's top racing events, including the British Columbia Derby, Ballerina Stakes, and British Columbia Oaks. That heritage did not safeguard the track from decades of broader industry decline.
"Our focus moving forward will be supporting our impacted team members through this transition, as well as racing participants as they assess their options for Thoroughbred racing in the province in the future," Odegard said.
