On Thursday, February 26, Ontario Racing (OR) announced its $5.89 million Thoroughbred Horse Improvement Program (TIP) Breeders Awards package for 2020-21, including a new 'Ontario Sired Reward of Excellence' program.

The TIP Breeders Awards program is meant to offer rewards to the breeders of best performing Ontario-bred horses at Woodbine Racetrack and Fort Erie Race Track, the province’s two Thoroughbred racetracks. The distribution is based on first, second and third-place finishes in most classes, including Grade 1 Open Stakes like the Ricoh Woodbine Mile.

A new $200,000 Ontario Sired Reward of Excellence program awards prizes to the breeders of the top three highest earning Ontario-sired horses worldwide. A total of $50,000 each is being offered in the two-year-old colt/gelding, two-year-old filly, three-year-old colt/gelding and three-year-old filly categories ($25,000 for first place, $15,000 for second place, $10,000 for third place in the standings).

“The Breeders Awards are critical to Ontario Racing’s objective of rewarding breeding excellence through its Horse Improvement Programs,” said David Anderson, an Ontario Racing board member and Thoroughbred breeder. “It is our continued intention to invest in the thoroughbred breeding sector, including the Ontario-sired program, to grow the province’s horse racing and breeding industry.”

Through the Breeders Awards program, bonuses for the Triple Crown and Triple Tiara races have been raised, including the famed Queen’s Plate and the Woodbine Oaks for three-year-olds, which now offer an added $50,000 and $30,000 bonus, respectively, at Woodbine.

Woodbine’s Coronation Futurity and the Princess Elizabeth, the country’s pre-eminent races for Canadian-bred two-year-old colts and fillies, respectively, offer a $25,000 bonus each.

Up to $33,000 will go to a winner of a Grade 1 Open Stakes event, maiden allowance races offer up to a $13,000 added reward to an Ontario-bred winner, up from $5,100 in 2019, while maiden Ontario-sired allowance winners can earn an extra $10,000 through Breeders Awards, up from $3,600 last year.

A list of the rewards offered for each division and class can be viewed here: Ontario Sired Reward of Excellence.

“The new Ontario Sired Reward of Excellence program fits well with our mandate to reward and promote all aspects of the Ontario Thoroughbred breeding industry,” said Anderson.

“The province’s breeders can now be further rewarded for producing an outstanding Ontario-sired and -bred runner, who has the ability to race anywhere in the world.”

Further details and criteria of the Breeders Awards program including the Ontario Sired Reward of Excellence, as well as other notable Ontario Racing and TIP plans, are available at: Ontario Racing TIP Program.

(Ontario Racing)