“Stakes races will be run as advertised, purses and rewards will be paid. Beyond that, it’s anybody’s guess.”
Those words come from Ontario Racing Commission Chair Rod Seiling in a statement to Dave Briggs, writing for the Guelph Mercury. Seiling confirmed that the lucrative $20-million program would not change in the face of the announcement by the Liberal government ending the province's slots-at-racetracks program as of April 2013. For Ontario's horse racing industry, it provides some short-term good news. As many within the business are full aware, the long-term planning that goes into producing the on-track talent takes years.
“I’m not sure it’s possible to salvage this breeding season,” Seelster Farms' Ann Straatman said to the Mercury. The largest breeder in the province, Seelster has more than 250 horses; nearly 90 broodmares, 10 stallions, 61 foals for 2012 and 57 yearlings that would hit the sales ring this Fall.
“We took a figure that we’ve been using with any (provincial politicians) that we can talk to. We spent more than $300,000 on new mares last year, new breeding stock. We won’t see a penny from that investment until we set the yearlings to sale in the auction ring, which is three years later. That investment is times three, because for the three years previous we’ve spent similar money on new breeding stock,” Straatman said. “That’s almost a million dollars in new horses that we have not seen a return on, yet. For this yearling sale coming up (in the fall)...we have really a great crop of horses. If I cannot stake them to the Ontario Sires Stakes, I can’t even imagine what their price will be. Less than half, certainly. Maybe less than a quarter of what we would have expected for them. It’s hard to even fathom what the loss will be.”
I find the statement "after
I find the statement "after 2012 it's anybody's guess." very hard to believe. The very successful OSS program has been around long before the slots at racetrack program ever was. The OSS program is an extremely vital part of Ontario harness racing. Just because the slots at racetrack program is in trouble/jeapordy doesn't mean, in my mind, that it should have any effect on the OSS program continuing!
surely you are not surprised
surely you are not surprised by the action of the ORC,apointed officials,who at the end of the day still have their pensions in hand when they walk out. Do you think they are going to speak out against the hand that feeds them,they will have new jobs "Ontario gaming officials" whose job it will be to track down players who are deemed to be cheaters at slot machines!
The truth will come out that they are already secure for the future
Richard J. Thompson I only
Richard J. Thompson
I only have one question for Rod Seiling, and I will give him until early May to think about it -- do I stake my yearlings to the Ontario Sires Stakes by May 15th or not???
Is that too much to ask of the governing body of our industry?? Talk about lack of leadership. I will bet money on the fact that both Blakeney and Seiling retire on or before March 31, 2013 with a big fat pension that we taxpayers are paying for. Don't know how they sleep at night!!
Judge, Jury & Executioner
Judge, Jury & Executioner with absolutely no regard for the industry participants who pay their inflated salaries.
The lack of leadership in this whole fiasco has been an eye opener.
The ORC has been nothing but
The ORC has been nothing but dissappointing in its support or leadership of this industry that pays its salaries. The principles there either have no comprehension of the fiasco created by the Government that appointed them, or they just don't care. If it wasnt for shrill complaints from breeders, they were even flippantly going to cancel the OSS Spring yearling nomination payment----essentially putting the entire crucial Sire Stake program into limbo. Many of the senior executives are fully pensioned, I'm sure. "Things will be in place for 2012" ----Hello ! We already know this as we have been given a D-day by our "friends" at the OLG of March 31/12. WHERE IS SOME LEADERSHIP, GUIDANCE, AND EVEN HINT OF WHAT WE SHOULD DO BEYOND 2012 ? The "good news" from the ORC is they are going to continue enforcement and investigation. If they dont do a better job in what should be their larger mandate they won't have an industry left to police.
I am wondering why the ORC
I am wondering why the ORC has not spoke up on the racing comunities' behalf. We already know that the stakes will go on in 2012. It's 2013,14 15 16 etc. that we are worried about. If any group should have had something to say about our problems with the Liberal government it should have been the Ontario Racing Commission.
Unfortunately the government
Unfortunately the government has put zero foresight into the effect on the breeding industry and are totally comitted to destroying the industry. The dark clouds of massive lawsuits will not deter the liberals because they are not spending their own money, Lawsuits and civil unrest will replace frustation and the apparent patience of the industry waiting for this government to negotiate in a reasonable manner. Mr Seiling,s announcement of the OSS for 2012 is still intact as good news is like the prison guard telling the prisoner on death row his final meal sure looks tasty. Every single person who works for the ORC or any other provincial government agency should be disgusted by their employers absolute lack of respect for the thousands of people who will be unemployed or the millions of dollars that will lost by breeding farms. I am a big boy and have lost alot of money in this business but I also know that the last two broodmares and two stallion shares I purchased were a direct result of the propaganda being potrayed by the ORC regarding the mare residency prograam. When the ORC representative is called to the witness stand and they are asked whether they were aware that all of these site holder agreements had one year outs and that promoting investment in broodmares with four year paybacks knowing this information would be somewhere between fraud or entrapment. My hope is that all of the government employees will answer that they were in the dark as much as the rest of us and We can all direct our contempt and lawsuits directly at the Liberals.
It's Anyone's Guess. Very
It's Anyone's Guess. Very comforting words from the leader of our governing body??????
The proposed cancellation of
The proposed cancellation of the "Slots at Racetracks" program will have a disasterous effect on all the players in our industry, if the government goes through with its plans. Many of us will not be substantially affected until the 2013 racing year. However, the breeders were negatively affected immediately upon the first announcements. Hardworking and committed people like Seelster's Anne Straatman don't deserve this.
Just what we need from our
Just what we need from our governing body, words that will only send more panic to broodmares and stallion owners. This incompetent Liberal goverment who has appointed this commission has no direction or plan for the multi million dollar breeding business or any compassion for the fine people who own these breeding farms and invested their life and money to further the Standardbred breed.
Robert McIntosh
“Stakes races will be run
“Stakes races will be run as advertised, purses and rewards will be paid.
If I read this correctly there will be stake races this year 2012 . .
This does not apply to 2013 .. OSS etc. >?