On Wednesday, June 7, Ontario Racing released the most recent edition of its newsletter.

The contents of the newsletter appear below.

New Ontario Racing Commercial

Our newest TV commercial, The Thrill of Winning, is the result of a collaboration between the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) and Ontario Racing (OR), and was produced by Toronto agency BBDO which commissioned Suneeva production company and director Jason Van Bruggen. On April 20, The Thrill of Winning premiered at Flamboro Downs, and started airing in May 2017. The video features driver Scott Young, and showcases the energy and excitement of horse racing in Ontario. The goal of the commercial is to raise awareness and connect new fans to this great sport.

More information about the commercial can be found in Dave Briggs' article, here, and the video can also be viewed here.

Horse Improvement Program Survey

To support Ontario Racing’s responsibilities for the management and administration of the Horse Improvement Program (HIP), OR is undertaking a comprehensive review of the Program. OR has engaged two firms to work jointly on the HIP review – Economic Research Ltd. (ERL) and Strategic Equine Inc. (SEI). The review process will be completed in two phases between April and September 2017.

A key part of the review will include a survey to industry participants to measure the economic output of the racehorse sector. The survey will measure full-time equivalent jobs, gross domestic product (GDP) and tax revenues generated.

A statistically significant and representative survey will directly support the economic assessment. The survey will be distributed by: Standardbred Canada for Standardbred people; Woodbine, Fort Erie and CTHS for Thoroughbred; and, by Ontario Racing for Quarter Horse people. We strongly encourage all survey recipients to participate and respond to the surveys to ensure the most accurate measurement possible.

Government Relations

Engaging our government partners in discussions about horse racing's future is a key part of Ontario Racing's mandate. As part of these efforts, OR will be hosting an industry event at Queen's Park in September 2017 to raise awareness of horse racing issues among Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) and government staff. Ontario Racing will also be holding special race events throughout the summer and fall at racetracks across Ontario featuring local MPPs as special guests. Most of these events will be at Ontario Sires Stakes races.

Update: Director-At-Large Application Process

On March 31, 2017, Ontario Racing issued a call for nominations to our Board of Directors for two Director-at-Large positions. The notice for applications was broadcast by emails to industry participants, and posted on the ontarioracing.com website. By the April 21 deadline, 21 applications were received, representing a broad cross-section of the industry, from horse owners, racetracks, horseplayers and equine welfare professionals. Of these applicants, five were selected for in-person interviews by Ontario Racing’s Executive Committee, which took place in May. A final recommendation to OR's board for the appointment of two candidates will be made by late-June 2017.

(Ontario Racing)