Stampede Park in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, will launch its 2000 race meet on Friday, amidst an air of uncertainty over whether racing will continue at the complex, better known as the home of the Calgary Stampede rodeo.

The racing contract at the track expires at the end of the year. A group interested in building a new track in Calgary has received regulatory approval, but construction has yet to start.

The Calgary Sun reports that Stampede officials have spent more than $350,000 on racetrack renovations in the past two years, roughly half of that going to the backstretch area.

"I thought I was at Santa Anita," said trainer Gail Henry. "Everything was so clean and fresh, and now it's a whole lot healthier for my horses. There's no dust or mold; it's a 95 percent improvement."

Racing is scheduled to run through June 18.