Horse racing coming back to Calgary with new track opening

Horses and Calgary are practically synonymous. The city boasts one of the world's top show jumping facilitiesin Spruce Meadows and horses are ubiquitous in Cowtowncome Stampede time.

So, it is surprising to learn that horse racing has not had a permanent presence in Calgary for years. However,that is about to change.

• Race track announced for Balzac

Owners and trainers of racehorses willgeta home of their ownwhen a new racetrack opens north of Calgary next month.

Century Downs racetrack is part of a casino complex opening just north of Calgary beside the CrossIron Mills mall.

Since the closure of the Stampede track in 2008, racing fans have had to travel far and wideto see the action.

Kelly Hoerdtis a trainer and driver from Beaumont, Alberta.

"We've been waiting a long time for this and we're excited that it's going to finally happen," he said.

The drivers and owners have signed a contract with Century Downs to race therefor five years. Hoerdtsays they have been travelling far and wide to maintain the sport while waiting for the Calgary track to open.

"We've been going year to year and just putting together enough race meets to keep us going," he said.

"We raced in Grande Prairie, Lacombe, Lethbridge, different places since Calgary closed.Every one of those was always just a temporary one-year contract just until the new racetrack opened," he said.

Century Downs will open in April with harness racing. Thoroughbred racingwill begin in 2016.