Viewers of TheStable.ca Virtual Winter Open House on Friday (Dec. 18) raised $3,000 for the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society (OSAS).

Donations were collected from several of the 500 people who provided an RSVP for the livestream event, which featured 45 of TheStable.ca’s yearlings training in eight sets.

Each winter and spring, TheStable.ca hosts an in-person Open House at its home base, Tomiko Training Centre, in Puslinch, Ont. The event is always streamed online. Removing the in-person element because of the pandemic, the broadcast was enhanced to include hosts Mark McKelvie, Fred MacDonald, and Bill O’Donnell reporting from their respective studios in Guelph, Charlottetown (PEI) and Milton. Anthony MacDonald co-hosted from track-level.

NHL alumni (and clients of TheStable.ca) Rick Vaive and Shayne Corson also joined the broadcast. Host Jaimi MacDonald conducted remote interviews with the duo from their homes.

Vaive and Corson — along with Doug Gilmour — own shares of the yearling colt U Gotta Be Leaf. A one per cent stake in the trotter (and free expenses for one year) was the grand prize of the event and was awarded to Thomas Welsh of Clifford, Ont.

The other prize winners were:

• $100 HPI Gift Card (sponsored by Central Ontario Standardbred Association): Russell Collis of Wasaga Beach, Ont.
• $100 Amazon Gift Card (sponsored by Clinton Raceway): Kathryn Reid of Mississauga, Ont.
• Breeders Crown Swag Pack (sponsored by the Hambletonian Society): Marcia Harmelink of Perry, Kan.
• $100 Amazon Gift Card (sponsored by Ontario Racing): Karen Dallimore of Orton, Ont.
• I Love Canadian Harness Racing swag (sponsored by Standardbred Canada): Larry Clarkin of Whitby, Ont.
• $100 Amazon Gift Card (sponsored by True Nature Communications Inc.): Sarah Toll of Toronto, Ont.
• Hambletonian Swag Pack (sponsored by the Hambletonian Society): Kevin Schmiedebusch of Lima, Ohio

An archive of the four-hour livestream event is available below, or at TheStable.ca's YouTube channel.

TheStable.ca extends its thanks to everyone who contributed to the Virtual Open House, donated to the fundraiser for OSAS, and tuned into the broadcast.

(TheStable.ca)