On Wednesday, May 8, the Ontario Racing Commission announced that it is changing the Canadian registration requirements for Ontario Sires Stakes nominated horses.
The contents of the ORC release on the deadlines appear below.
Changes To Canadian Registration Requirements For OSS-Nominated Horses
Standardbred Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) rules require that a yearling must be registered with either Standardbred Canada or the United States Trotting Association (USTA) at the time of nomination.
In addition to having all fees paid and paperwork submitted, Canadian registration through Standardbred Canada requires that the foal be freeze-branded and DNA tested by an Identification Technician before registration can be completed.
The Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) has been notified that due to a number of factors in Ontario, there are a large number of foals still to be identified by the Standardbred Canada Identification Technician. It is not expected that these foals can be completed by May 15.
Consequently, the ORC has made the following decisions with respect to the conditions surrounding the Ontario Sires Stakes Program:
- The OSS nomination deadline for foals of 2012 remains May 15, 2013. The nomination and the payment must be received or postmarked by the deadline, regardless of whether or not the Canadian registration has been completed.
- OSS nominated horses registering through Standardbred Canada will have until June 15, 2013 to complete the registration process. For all OSS nominated horses, the OSS Administration will be advised automatically of the registration status of the horse.
Owners of OSS nominated horses are reminded that the OSS eligibility of their horses can be confirmed on the Ontario Sires Stakes website, which is updated daily, as nominations are accepted and completed registration confirmed.
Please note, the process of updating the system for the yearlings received to date is just beginning, and should be completed by early next week. The OSS Administration encourages you to recheck the OSS website regularly, as yearlings will be added as they are finalized.
(ORC)