June 16, 2020
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is creating more flexibility for trainers to confirm the Canadian-bred status of their Thoroughbred race horses through an amendment of Thoroughbred Rule 34.02.
Thoroughbred Rue 34.02 currently requires a horse’s Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (CTHS) registration papers to be filed with an Association, in order to be eligible to enter and start in Canadian-bred races, or to receive Canadian-bred weight allowances.
Effective immediately, the AGCO is expanding this rule to provide the option of having Ontario Racing (OR) confirm the Canadian-bred status of a horse where its trainers has filed its status with Ontario Racing. The option for trainers to file CTHS papers with an Association is retained.
CTHS will continue to register all Canadian-bred Thoroughbred horses and be responsible for such functions as promoting breed improvement in its role as the Thoroughbred breed association in good standing under the Animal Pedigree Act.
The new rule is outlined below:
34.02 Canadian-bred horses, to be eligible to enter and start in Canadian-bred races, or to receive Canadian-bred weight allowances in other races, shall have their Canadian-bred status confirmed in one of following two ways:
- By Ontario Racing confirming the Canadian-bred status of the horses to the Association, where the trainers of such horses have filed with Ontario Racing evidence of such status, or
- By the trainer of a Canadian-bred horse by filing with the Association Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society registration papers or recorded numbers thereof.
The previous rule read:
34.02 Canadian-bred horses, to be eligible to enter and start in Canadian-bred races, or to receive Canadian-bred weight allowances in other races, shall have their Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society registration papers, or recorded numbers thereof, on file with the Association and the trainers of such horses shall be responsible for filing such papers or such recorded numbers.