The Ontario Racing Commission has issued responses to a variety of questions – both general and specific - on the new Ontario Racing Program
.
The Ontario Racing Program framework is the outcome of a year-long consultation with the racing community. All racetracks, horse people associations and a variety of stakeholders met to develop a program to benefit the entire industry. Ontario’s harness racing industry has taken action, so as to avoid the negative trends happening in other jurisdictions.
“Dear Monitoring Group: What is going to happen to any surplus in the Purse Account? Where will the money go?…”
The purse account will remain what it always has been – for the benefit of horse people. Some tracks are showing signs of a purse surplus, so it’s a fair question. The fair and complete response is that any and all surpluses of purse accounts will be invested for the benefit of all horse people.
Will it remain at a single track for a single group of horse people? Remember that question in the last issue about “taking away my purse money.”
We pointed out this Program means shifting away from traditional thinking – from a purely local perspective to one that is regional and provincial in scope. This is not simply the Georgian Racing Program…or the Rideau Racing Program… or the Windsor Racing Program… This is the Ontario Racing Program.
And in reality, under the previous system, horse people from anywhere could truck in and scoop ‘local’ purse money. Where did that system leave the local horse person?
The Ontario Racing Program includes a provincial approach to purses which will benefit horse people on a more realistic, fair and competitive basis.
“Dear Monitoring Group: Horse people will feel the impact of these changes. When are you going to make racetracks accountable?…”
In fact, “accountability for all parties” has been front and centre in the development of the Program. Racetracks are accountable, and will be held so. Recently, the OLG, in co-operation with the ORC, announced it is developing ‘performance indicators’ for racetracks. That means, as recipients of the funds from the Slots at Racetracks program, racetracks will be required to demonstrate how they are re-investing in racing. This would include maintaining safe, comfortable standards with respect to buildings and facilities.
The Monitoring Group comments on Canadian preference:
Some are saying the condition does not go far enough. Some US trainers say it is too restrictive. We think it is worth repeating some of the key facts about the condition.
Summing up: “It’s not about the ownership of the horse – it’s about the location of the horse.” Meaning, a horse needs to be “in Canada” on the day of the draw, and remain there until the race is completed – and that means local stables, grooms and suppliers will benefit. That’s good for the Ontario Racing Program and the Ontario economy. And it’s a reasonable price to be paid by the owners of a horse normally stabled outside of Canada.
Keep in mind that if the race is not full, a US trainer does not have to declare the Canadian preference.
As always, if you have concerns that someone is circumventing the rules, contact the Judges at the track. They will conduct an inquiry to confirm that a trainer is correctly following the terms of the condition.
And was preference surrounding Ontario-sired, Ontario-bred or Ontario-owned horses considered? Indeed it was. But the feeling was that, at this point in time, such a condition would be too restrictive for Ontario owners. Still, keep in mind the Program will be monitored closely and tracked statistically to see if it has improved the condition for Ontario owners and trainers. Changes will be considered where warranted, after sufficient time has passed to test the initiative.
Do you have questions about how the Program is working?
Thank you for your questions. Please ask more. Since the first issue, we have received a variety of questions – both general and specific. Some have asked why there is not one single provincial purse account. Others just want to be assured there is something in this for ‘the little guy.’
In this and future editions, we will begin to respond to these topics. Remember you can contact the Implementation and Monitoring Group directly with your operational questions about how the Program will be applied.
The Implementation and Monitoring Group includes Wendy Hoogeveen, Bill Fines, Kerry Wright, Mike Wilson, Rob McKay and Ryan Dupuis, and industry experts as required.
Please send your questions to [email protected] or call any of the Implementation and Monitoring Group at 416 213-0520.
(ORC)
While the analogy by Mr
While the analogy by Mr Bechtel is not parallel, one can hardly disagree with his premise.
As long as the Harness Racing Industry refuses to approach its problems from the outlook of its alleged customers(the bettors) it will continue its downard spiral!
Ok I have a great idea for
Ok I have a great idea for the surplus. How about we take the surplus and give it back to the people who created the surplus, the gamblers who have been paying 20 percent plus takeouts on paramutuels wagers. Put a special rebate program together whereby any person who bets over 1000 dollars in the month recieve a 10 percent rebate into their hpibet account .After we have done this and see the betting handle go up by exponential growth we then have a conference with all the stake holders and discuss gambling, horseracings popularity and the effect of takeout on the industry. It is a fallacy to correlate the amount being bet and the health of harness racing. Paramutial wagering and higher takeouts are dying and outdated while harness racing is searching to find a new identity. If this rebate program was put in place with a cap of 100000 dollars I would bet that the 1 million would be bet on the first three races at Woodbine the first night of the program. The best analogy that I think would highlight this argument goes like this. A restaraunt owner who sales drop by 50 percent over a few months comes to the conclusion that nobody likes his food anymore and starts to ask his customers what they think is the reason. Finally one of his customers tells him that a very similar restaraunt has opened two blocks away and everything on the menu is 40 percent cheaper and the quality and the quantity of the food is similar. The owner of the restaraunt drops his prices by 50 percent and his sales takeoff again. The morale of the story is that it is better to make 50 percent less on 300 percent more sales. This industry needs to spend some of its money to findout if people would still like our hamburgers if we priced it properly. Bon apetit.
I was, as many people are
I was, as many people are wondering the same thing Per............I asked a few people but noone had the answer to the question.."where is the surplus of purse money going" Are tracks running a number of series to use it up or is the ORC gonna come in and scoop it up...I understand that this is purse money, or at least was,,, So to you Per , did you ever get an answer to your question....If so it would be good to repost on this site the answer Thanks Stu Cochrane
In reply to Doug Critch The
In reply to Doug Critch
The state of harness racing is on life support in Ontario. Anybody who thinks otherwise really needs to face the facts.
Pools at Flamboro, Western Fair, Kawartha, Sudbury, Rideau, Windsor, Hiawatha, Grand River are a complete joke. Win pools of $500 ? Place pools of $250? Show pools of $150 ? These are like the days of the fair races. Tracks that have closed in the past that handled more then the tracks that are open today.
I say close the doors on the places that can't cut it and build one Super B track and have 2 cards of 20 races a day, 7 days a week, somewhere in the center of Ontario and be done with all the other tracks. I am sure that all the owners of these racetracks wqould be more then glad to be rid of the cost of running a track and are more then glad to just have the slots.
Gary Blackburn
I see that Woodbine's box is
I see that Woodbine's box is stll open for Saturday due a shortage of entries. Maybe the BRAINWAVES at the ORC may want to take some entries from some of the other tracks to help fill the card. YET ANOTHER GREAT MOVE BY OUR WONDERFUL COMMISSION
Lets say you have, for
Lets say you have, for example, you have a horse like "The Beach" racing in the states, or gets hung up at the border on draw day for say the Confederstion Cup, NA Cup etc.. Would this not be more detrimental to racing in Ontario than the local benefits keeping in mind most stables bring their own grooms, supplies and sometimes have free stabling available to them?
Although I am all for one Ontario racing program, why share surplus money to tracks who refuse to watch their own backyard.
This leads to the accountability question. If a track can't keep a safe environment for all participants in racing, ensure the backstretch is in reasonable condition for both horse and human or can't cover the purse account through the nightly handle,ensure the grandstand area is patron friendly meaning clean, welcoming and showing that there are actually horse races here and not just slots, why bail them out? Slots were introduced to help racing, slot owners own the facility, use the money from the profits from the slots at that facility to bring these conditions up to par and cover purse accounts. Once each facility is up to the standards needed for racing, then start sharing money or create or expand the stakes program to attract better racing at the smaller tracks to attract more people and use the money for more advertising, and dropping the takeout so people will actually show up.
Owners of these facilities will be and are laughing all the way to the bank, they don't need to use their own money right now and seem to be under no real meaningful pressure or responsibility to ensure these conditions are met and if they have to, they take money from another facility.
I don't see ANY accountability, when was the last time a track was fined for something? When was the last time an inspection was done to prevent issues?(Rideau comes to mind). If a track can't fill a racecard due to neglect, the slots should be shutdown for that day also plus the facility owners fined, my opinion.
The horse people need to be protected and I really do not see anything that protects or helps the Ontario horseperson. There should be a program in place to help horsepeople in Ontario and Canada, oh wait........
All great and accurate
All great and accurate questions in my view!
The tension among horsemen
The tension among horsemen is raising!!!! We have still to hear what the surplus from different purse pools is going to be used for, or where it is going.
To say that it is going to be used for the good of racing in Ontario is not good enough! To say this is going to be good for racing in Ontario is not a satisfactory explanation! The horse community in Ontario is owed a good and clear explanation from ORC in clear languish that everybody can understand what they are trying to do, and how they are trying to do it. All we have seen til Nov is a lot of mumble bumble and answers to questions that is easy to explain and that they created them self.
When is anyone in this
When is anyone in this industry going to do anything meaningful for the customer/gambler. Wether it be the orc, or racetrack management or does the customer just not count.
We've had slots for a while
We've had slots for a while now, the tracks have thumbed their noses at the horse people since day one!
Now the ORC says it will hold the tracks accountable, got to see that to believe it!
Woodstock, Windsor, Sudbury, etc, sound familiar
In reply to We've had slots for a while by [email protected]
Not only the horse people,
Not only the horse people, the money should go to the backstrech at flamboro. There used to be a kitchen and mutuels. Now you have POTHOLES and A POP MACHINE???
In reply to Not only the horse people, by Tom
I disagree with Tom Kelly,
I disagree with Tom Kelly, why should Horepeoples money go to subsidise Flamboro Downs! This is just another example of the ORC not holding tracks accountable, I never thought I would say this but bring back Charlie
In reply to We've had slots for a while by [email protected]
l would love to Reply to ian
l would love to Reply to ian Dow
Douglas critch SAID
we've had slots for a while now. and its true I Think slots will put harness racing out of business. if the horseman,horsewoman & families dont do something now.... the tracks have snubbed their noses at the horse people since day one or if you would like to say when the government got there way to take over the horse tracks.
Now the ORC says it will hold the tracks accountable. I two would love to see it to believe it
Sorry Sudbury downs, & for one thing I don't know how some horseman make ends meet on two days a week racing. I go to and you can't get a gift from the standardbred harness racing, only OLG gifts
Thats not right. to tell you the truth OLG, In my opinion I think if they can't put up half of what they bring into the racetrack, considering they allow you to drink alcolhol at the cassino this enticing us to bet more on the machines hoping they click on the jackpot. People are more facinated with the lights and bells from the machines then they are with the horses and I love my horses to death so when are we going to make changes to entice people to come back to the horses i think the horses should stay the horses and the cassinos should be in their own facility. I remember at Greenwood Racetrack people came in and it was a packed house without the cassinos so why let the cassinos take over where the horses belong. in closing I am for the horseman and women 150% we need to stick together and fight closing of any racetracks