Following announcements made last week, the Board of the Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) approved a set of Consolation Races for the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Gold Series and the Grassroots Series at its monthly meeting yesterday.
The new races were developed through consultation with industry stakeholders and race secretaries to determine the best use of unallocated funds from the 2013 Ontario Sires Stakes Program. The proposal was circulated to the Standardbred Advisory Group and was very favourably received.
“The Board is very aware of the struggles experienced by the horse racing community in 2013. Early in the planning stages, the ORC had committed to ensuring that 2013 Program funds would be paid out in 2013,” said Rod Seiling, Chair of the ORC. “The concept for these new races balances the interests of the customer and the interests of the racing community, by creating new opportunities for our OSS horses to race and exciting betting opportunities for our customers.”
Gold Series Consolation
On Sunday, October 13 at Grand River Raceway, the Consolation for the Gold Series horses will be contested in one division per age, sex and gait for a purse of $50,000. The top nine Gold point earners that are entered will be drawn in. To ensure full fields in both the Super Finals and the Gold Consolations, horses that competed but did not earn money in the Gold Super Final will also be allowed to enter the Consolation.
Grassroots Series Consolation
Two divisions of Grassroots Consolations for each age, sex and gait will be contested on October 14 and 15 at Western Fair Raceway. The top 16 point earners entered will compete for a purse of $20,000 for each division. As in the Gold Series, horses that raced in the Grassroots Finals but did not earn money will be allowed to enter into the Grassroots Consolations.
Horses that are eligible to be entered into both the Gold and Grassroots Consolations due to their point accumulation can be entered into both, but will only be drawn into one. All horses must be declared by the box closing time at each track. The box for Western Fair for October 14, however, will be held open for entries for the Grassroots Consolations until 12 noon on Wednesday, October 9 to allow for the completion of the Gold Consolation draw at Grand River.
Complete details for the Consolations are available here.
For further Program information, please contact:
Karen Hauver
OSS Administration Coordinator
519 369-3545
[email protected]
or
Wendy Hoogeveen
Program Administrator
Director Industry Development and Support
416 213-7839
(ORC)