The Registrar of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is temporarily deleting Standardbred Rule 15.09(a) which requires that horses who are claimed in Ontario only race at tracks in the province for 60 days after being claimed, otherwise risking a monetary penalty or suspension.
In order to support industry participants and reduce burden for owners who claimed horses in the past 60 days with the intention of racing them in Ontario, the Registrar is temporarily deleting rule 15.09(a) until further notice, which will allow industry participants to opt to have their horses race outside of Ontario, without any penalties.
This temporary rule revision is a response to industry requests, and is intended to allow greater flexibility for race horse owners during the provincewide shutdown, beginning on December 26, 2020.
The AGCO will closely monitor the impacts of the temporary rule revision to determine how long it should remain in effect and to ensure it is meeting its desired outcomes.
Impacted Rules:
15.09(a) A claimed horse, regardless of ownership, shall only race at a track or tracks in the province of Ontario for the next 60 days, except where such a horse has been nominated to participate in an added money event before it was claimed. Any person who violates this rule shall be subject to a suspension or monetary penalty of 10% of the claiming price or 100% of the purse for each race, whichever is greater and the horse may be suspended. A claimant shall be held in violation of this rule if he or she disposes of the horse in any manner other than by claiming and the horse races outside of the province of Ontario within 60 days of the horse being claimed.