1 6 , ▁ 1 8 9 7 . ▁It ▁was ▁at ▁one ▁time ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁C ella ▁family , ▁who ▁also ▁owned ▁Oak la wn ▁Park ▁in ▁Hot ▁Spr ings , ▁Ark ansas . ▁They ▁sold ▁it ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁to ▁ren owned ▁Canadian ▁hors eman ▁E . ▁P . ▁Taylor , ▁acting ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁the ▁Ontario ▁J ockey ▁Club . ▁Prior ▁to ▁this ▁ac quisition , ▁Fort ▁Er ie ▁was ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁" ram sh ack le " ▁facility ▁that ▁was ▁restricted ▁to ▁only ▁ 1 4 ▁days ▁of ▁racing ▁a ▁year . ▁Taylor ▁closed ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁smaller ▁tracks ▁around ▁Ontario ▁and ▁instead ▁focused ▁on ▁developing ▁Thor ough bre d ▁racing ▁in ▁Toronto ▁and ▁Fort ▁Er ie . ▁Taylor ▁expanded ▁the ▁racing ▁season ▁for ▁Fort ▁Er ie ▁to ▁ 4 2 ▁days ▁over ▁the ▁summer . ▁He ▁also ▁h ired ▁h ort icult ur ist ▁Gene ▁M uma , ▁who ▁transformed ▁the ▁facil ty ▁into ▁" phys ically , ▁the ▁most ▁beautiful ▁race ▁course ▁in ▁North ▁America ." ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁the ▁Ontario ▁government ▁announced ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁open ▁cas inos , ▁to ▁be ▁operated ▁by ▁the ▁Ontario ▁Lot tery ▁and ▁G aming ▁Corporation ▁( OL G ), ▁at ▁rac etra cks ▁across ▁the ▁province . ▁To ▁compens ate ▁the ▁tracks ▁for ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁their ▁facilities ▁and ▁potential ▁" c ann ib al ization " ▁of ▁customers , ▁the ▁O L G ▁directed ▁ 2 0 %