Central Ontario Standardbred Association President Bill O'Donnell told Trot Insider today that the votes have been counted from the ballot box placed at Mohawk and Woodbine Racetrack with respect to the current claiming
rules in Ontario.
"It was an overwhelming vote for going back to the old rules," said O'Donnell. "We've asked the Ontario Racing Commission to have a look at it and reconsider reimplementing the 'class higher' part of the old rule."
The ballot was in reference to the present claiming rule:
15.09 A claimed horse, regardless of ownership:
(b) shall only be entered in a claiming race within 15 days of the horse being claimed, if it is entered in a claiming race in a class higher than the race from which it was claimed. For purposes of this requirement, a 'class higher' shall be not less than 20% more than the amount for which the horse was claimed.
The previous claiming rule did not require that you to enter your horse in a class higher.