Horse racing licensing

The AGCO licenses participants in the horse racing industry, such as jockeys, trainers, drivers, veterinarians, stables and partnerships, racetracks associations, and teletheatres. AGCO Licensing Agents work at racetracks and at the AGCO’s Head Office in Toronto. This work continued during the pandemic when racing was allowed.

TABLE 17: Horse racing licensing

Licensing (Number of licences issued)

2019–20

2020–21

Thoroughbred

4,537

2,674

Quarter Horse

428

271

Standardbred

8,998

3,069

Teletheatres

59

48

Racetracks

15

15

Total

14,037

6,077

Ontario racetracks

Thoroughbred

  • Fort Erie Race Track, Fort Erie
  • Woodbine Racetrack, Toronto

Standardbred

  • Clinton Raceway, Clinton
  • Dresden Raceway, Dresden
  • Flamboro Downs, Dundas
  • Georgian Downs, Innisfil
  • Grand River Raceway, Elora
  • Hanover Raceway, Hanover
  • Hiawatha Horse Park, Sarnia
  • Kawartha Downs, Fraserville
  • Lakeshore Racing, Leamington
  • Woodbine Mohawk Park, Campbellville
  • Rideau Carleton Raceway, Ottawa
  • The Raceway at Western Fair, London
  • Woodbine Racetrack, Toronto

Quarter Horse

  • Ajax Downs, Ajax

Racing inspections

In 2020–2021, the AGCO continued to conduct its horse racing–related inspection and investigation activities.

Note: Upon the completion of iAGCO online services rollout, horse racing complaints previously housed in the Horse Racing Database are now listed as Inspections and Investigations in iAGCO.

TABLE 18: Inspections – Horse racing

Inspection Types

2020–21

Complaint Driven – CMP

33

Consult with Licensee / Registrant – CLR

15

Education – EDU

1

Equine Accident Inspection – EAI

5

Equine Fatality Inspection – EFI

12

Equine Positive Test – PTE

34

Intelligence – ITL

28

Issues Note – Contentious - INC

3

Out of Competition Testing – OCT

76

Unannounced Inspection – UNI

107

Total

314

TABLE 19: Investigations – Horse racing

Investigation Types

2020–21

AGCO Legal Investigation

5

HRLA Investigation

1

Horse Racing – Eligibility Review Investigation

88

Racing Intelligence

1

Rules of Racing

2

Total

97

Rulings

Rulings are written decisions by AGCO Judges and Stewards that relate to violations of the Rules of Racing, 2018. The decisions can be appealed to the Horse Racing Appeal Panel, an independent and impartial adjudicative body – see Horse Racing Appeal Panel page of this Annual Report.

TABLE 20: Rulings by racing officials

Breed

2019–20

2020–21

Thoroughbred

Stewards’ Rulings

187

109

Live Race Dates

171

134

Standardbred

Judges’ Rulings

417

313

Live Race Dates

710

523

Quarter Horse

Stewards’ Rulings

13

22

Live Race Dates

25

21

Notices

TABLE 21: Number of Notices of Proposed Order or Immediate Suspension

 

2019–20

2020–21

Notice of Proposed Order

To suspend, revoke or immediately suspend a licence

12

3

Hearings, appeals, dispute resolution, and settlements

The Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT) is responsible for adjudicating appeals of decisions on licensing activities regulated by various ministries. The LAT is part of Tribunals Ontario and is independent of the AGCO.

Notices of Proposal, Notices of Proposed Order or an Orders of Monetary Penalty issued by the Registrar regarding a licensing or registration matter under the Liquor Licence Act (LLA), Gaming Control Act 1992 (GCA), Horse Racing Licence Act 2015 (HRLA) or Cannabis Licence Act 2018 (CLA) and regulations, can be appealed to the LAT.

The LAT will also conduct public interest hearings to determine if issuance of a liquor licence or changes to liquor-licensed premises is in the public interest.

Horse racing licensees can appeal decisions made under the Rules of Racing to the Horse Racing Appeal Panel.

The following settlements were reached without a LAT hearing:

TABLE 22: Alcohol-related settlements without a hearing

 

2019–20

2020–21

Number of Settlements agreed to without a hearing (NOPs and OMPs)

98

11

*These settlements are negotiated by the AGCO’s Legal Services Division, based on instructions from the Registrar.

TABLE 23: Alcohol-related public meeting conference calls

If the AGCO receives a written objection to the issuance of a liquor sales licence, a decision is made to either set up a public meeting at the AGCO or issue an NOP to review the licence application, which can be appealed to the LAT. A public meeting is an alternative dispute-resolution process and is an informal meeting among the liquor licence applicant, the objectors, and a Deputy Registrar of the AGCO. This meeting may be arranged as a telephone conference call.

 

2019–20

2020–21

Number of Public Meeting Conference Calls

15

12

TABLE 24: Gaming-related settlements without a hearing

 

2019–20

2020–21

Number of settlements agreed to without a hearing

(Notices of Proposed Order and Orders of Monetary Penalty)

5

0

*These settlements are negotiated by the AGCO’s Legal Services Division, based on instructions from the Registrar.

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