John Blakney

Blakney To Retire From ORC; Lehman Named Successor

August 02, 2012

On Thursday, August 2, the Ontario Racing Commission announced that its CEO, John Blakney, will be stepping away from his role with the provincial racing regulator effective October 31, 2012.

ORC Statement On Forward Ruling

January 12, 2012

On Thursday afternoon, Trot Insider received an official statement from Ontario Racing Commission Executive Director John Blakney on the recent ruling concerning driver Brad Forward

More On Crys Dream Positive

On Wednesday, the Ontario Racing Commission denied the request for a stay lodged by the connections of Crys Dream after the trotting filly tested positive for a Class 2 anti-depressant

Hannah On Quinte Raceway: 'We Are Further Ahead Now Than We Have Been Before'

National Capital Harness Horse Association board member Gina Hannah has gone on the record as saying that the much-delayed new Quinte Raceway is much further ahead now than what it has ever been

Blakney: $9 Million Figure Is "Unclear"

In an effort to clarify and correct some information circulating concerning distribution of purse money, John L. Blakney, Executive Director of the Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) issued this stateme...

Owners Suing ORC, RCR, Blakney Over Gondola Situation

February 11, 2011

It has been reported that a pair of horse owners are suing the Ontario Racing Commission, its executive director, John Blakney, and Rideau Carleton Raceway over the judges' stand issue which caused th...

Rideau: We Are Cleared For Racing

February 08, 2011

On Tuesday, February 8, Rideau Carleton Raceway released its second announcement in regard to the state of the judges' gondola at the facility. The track has stated that live racing will be resuming s...

More On Rideau Cancellations, Gondola Situation

February 04, 2011

Ontario Racing Commission Executive Director John Blakney, National Capital Region Harness Horse Association Director John MacMillan and Rideau Carleton Raceway have commented on the situation surroun...

Suspended Drivers File Appeals

September 25, 2010

Brad Forward, Gene Piroski and Kevin Wallis have all filed appeals with the Ontario Racing Commission on allegations that certain licensees racing at Windsor Raceway were conspiring to affect the outc...

Blakney On ORC's "Conceptual Framework"

"There is a common or central challenge that has really emerged over the past few years, and that is halt the decline in the business and start

ORC's 'Conceptual Framework To A Solution'

The Ontario Racing Commission has released the most recent issue of its Integrity Matters newsletter, and one of the aspects of it is a piece entitled 'Seeking A New Model for Racing: The Conceptual F...

Race Date Consultation Continues

December 16, 2009

The Ontario Racing Commission’s consultation with the industry on re-thinking the allocation of race dates is continuing. In the past few weeks, ORC exec

ORC Signs Agreement With IRB

February 27, 2009

The Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) signed an agreement with the State of Illinois Racing Board (IRB) this week, formalizing the two organizations’ commitment to share intelligence and investigative f...