On Tuesday, December 22, the Ontario Racing Commission sent out a Notice to the Industry stating that Ontario’s Standardbred Improvement Program is confirmed for 2016, following the Ontario Racing Commission’s Board of Directors approval of both the 2016 budget and Program elements as developed by the Standardbred Advisory Group.

The successful Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Program is on track to provide an exciting season of racing and will offer close to $14 million in purses and just over $1.8 million in Ontario Bred and Ontario Sired Rewards.

The structure of the 2016 season will remain as per 2015. The Gold series will feature five Gold Legs ($210,000 split between the required divisions with a maximum of $150,000 if only one division), leading up to the $250,000 Gold Super Finals in October. There will be six Grassroots events ($18,000 per division), followed by the Grassroots Semi-Finals ($20,000 per division) and the year-end $50,000 Grassroots Championships.

The purse bonuses for Ontario Sired two-year-olds will be available again in 2016. This will be distributed as a 20 per cent purse bonus for Ontario Sired two-year-olds racing in overnight races in Ontario plus, a 5 per cent purse bonus on two-year-old Ontario Sires Stakes earnings.

Starting in 2017, two- and three-year-old Ontario Sired and/or Ontario Bred horses (foals of 2014 and 2015), will be eligible for a share of a new $2 million Owners’ Bonus. This bonus will replace the Two-Year-Old Ontario Sired Purse Bonus mentioned above and will be calculated based on a horse’s earnings in overnight races in Ontario. A double bonus will be paid if the horse is both Ontario Sired and Ontario Bred.

The Standardbred Breeders of Ontario Association’s Breeders Enhancement Program, which started in 2015, will continue to pay out approximately $3 million per year through 2018.

The Administration would like to thank the Standardbred Advisory Group for their hard work and careful consideration in developing a long-range plan for the continued success of the Ontario Program.

All required forms are available online in the Standardbred section under ‘Breeding Programs’ at www.ontariohorseracing.ca.

In addition to its release regarding the 2016 Standardbred Improvement Program (SIP), the ORC also issued releases in regard to the 2016 Thoroughbred Improvement Program (TIP) and Quarter Horse Racing Industry Development Program.

Official copies of each release can be accessed by clicking the corresponding links which appear below.

• 2016 Standardbred Improvement Program (SIP)
• 2016 Thoroughbred Improvement Program (TIP)
• Quarter Horse Racing Industry Development Program

(With files from the ORC)