The HBPA of Ontario will be attending this weekend’s Can-Am All Breeds Equine Expo at the Ancaster Fairgrounds. We will be there, at Booth A-5, to promote jobs at Woodbine and Fort Erie Racetracks.
There will also be a daily draw for ‘A dinner for four at Woodbine’, donated by The Woodbine Entertainment Group.
The Trade Show Hours are as follows:
Friday March 22 – 8:30am to 7:00pm
Saturday March 23 – 8:30am to 7:00pm
Sunday March 24 – 8:30am to 5:00pm
The Can-Am All Breeds Equine Expo is a premier equine event that brings together thousands of horse lovers and industry partners all under one roof for a great weekend. Designed for everyone from the seasoned horse person to the weekend rider and everything in between!
Featuring three exciting days of international clinicians, family-fun entertainment and performances, equine breed showcases, and all indoor shopping. Can-Am All Breeds Equine Expo, is the largest equine education and entertainment event in Canada and will take place at the Ancaster Fairgrounds in Ancaster, Ontario.
The Can-Am All Breeds Equine Expo’s mandate is to create support and awareness of the equine industry, making horses a vital part of the community. Come and enjoy free with admission, over 30 equine-related lectures and presentations. Horse breeders, product manufacturers, distributors, educational facilities and so much more all under one roof for the love of the horse!
We hope everyone can attend and come by booth A-5!
Uncategorized
March 6, 2024
Toronto, ON – March 6, 2024 – Woodbine Entertainment today unveiled the stakes schedule for the 2024 Thoroughbred racing season at Woodbine Racetrack.
The iconic King’s Plate headlines the 2024 racing meet with the 165th running scheduled for Saturday, August 17. The King’s Plate and the Woodbine Mile serve as Woodbine’s prestigious $1 million classics, while the full stakes schedule consists of 38 graded stakes, including four Grade 1 events.
“It’s exciting to have the dates locked and start working towards our major events,” said Tim Lawson, Vice President of Thoroughbred Racing. “We are proud of our entire stakes program and really looking forward to what 2024 brings.”
The 165th King’s Plate on Saturday, August 17 will launch the 2024 Canadian Triple Crown. The $400,000 Prince of Wales (raced at Fort Erie Race Track) will be held on Tuesday, September 10, while the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes will conclude the Triple Crown on Sunday, September 29 at Woodbine.
Racing fans around the world will be focused on Woodbine for Canada’s most lucrative day of racing on Saturday, September 14.
The Woodbine Mile leads a quartet of Grade 1 turf events on September 14, accompanied by the Grade 1 $750,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes, Grade 1 $500,000 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes and Grade 1 $500,000 bet365 Summer Stakes.
The Woodbine Mile, Johnnie Walker Natalma and bet365 Summer are traditionally part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series “Win and You’re In”. The E.P. Taylor Stakes has been moved up three weeks from its date in 2023 to join the outstanding turf showcase.
After review and consideration of industry and logistical challenges, the Canadian International Stakes will not be held in 2024.
The $500,000 Woodbine Oaks Presented by Budweiser will be held on Saturday, July 20. The Oaks is the first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara, which is completed by the $250,000 Bison City Stakes (August 10) and $250,000 Wonder Where Stakes (September 8).
Another important date is the Canada Day Racing Festival on Saturday, June 29, which features five graded stakes. The stakes-filled card includes the Grade 2 Highlander Stakes, Grade 2 Nassau Stakes, Grade 3 Dominion Day Stakes, Grade 3 Selene Stakes and Grade 3 Marine Stakes.
To view the entire 2024 Thoroughbred stakes schedule, click here.
The 2024 Stakes schedule has been finalized after consultation with the HBPA.
The 2024 Thoroughbred season at Woodbine Racetrack begins on Saturday, April 27 and runs through Sunday, December 15. A total 129 race dates will be contested.
Thank you for taking the time to participate in the post-pandemic horse racing economic impact study. Your input, through this survey, will help ensure that the study captures a diverse range of data that accurately reflects the industry’s economic footprint. This initiative will help us assess how the horse racing landscape has changed since 2019. The more horse owners, breeders and trainers that participate, the more representative the data will be in estimating the sector’s contribution to Ontario’s economy.
We assure that your confidentiality will be protected. Only the OLG Economic Impact Team will have access to your responses. This information will be maintained in a secure environment after the project. Results will be presented at an aggregate level – sets of questions will be totaled, then those totals will be averaged. The reporting on study results will provide no opportunity for anyone to identify you or your business information.
If the above link doesn’t work, copy, and paste the URL into your web browser. Please note: 1. Due to the survey design (including tables) it is strongly recommended that you complete this survey on a desktop/laptop computer rather than on a tablet/mobile device. 2. Once started, survey responses are automatically saved. If you are interrupted while responding and are unable to complete the entire survey in one sitting, simply revisit the survey link to continue where you left off.
You can opt-in to receive a copy of the high-level results once the study has been completed. To be eligible, you must complete the entire survey and indicate your preferred mode of contact by 10:00 PM on Friday, February 9, 2024. The results will be made available at the end of the study. If you have any questions about the survey and/or its content, feel free to contact us at horseracingei@olg.ca.
Uncategorized
January 31, 2024
Horsemen: We want to make sure everyone has seen the recent announcement from HIWU which reminds Covered Persons, including horsemen and veterinarians, of the following regulations under HISA’s Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program in regard to foreign, unapproved and/or compounded products:
• Products that are legally manufactured outside the United States must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be permitted domestically. For example, Clotol, a Canadian medication used to mitigate bleeding, is not approved by the FDA and is therefore a Banned Substance under the ADMC Program.
• The compounding of products intended to mimic foreign medications that are not approved in the United States, e.g., Hemo-15, is prohibited.
• The use of compounded products requires medical justification, which must be recorded in the Covered Horse’s medical record and uploaded to the HISA portal.
• Dietary supplements with drug claims on the label, e.g., “treats ulcers,” “mitigates bleeding,” or “prevents tying up,” are, per the FDA, Unapproved, New Animal drugs and are thus categorized as Banned Substances by HISA.
We urge caution if these substances are used, and where possible, alternatives should be found. The presence, administration, possession or trafficking of a Banned Substance is considered an Anti-Doping Rule Violation. Please note we have consulted with NAARV and their counsel has questioned HISA/HIWU about the legal compounding of Hemo-15 and Clotol and HISA General Counsel was unable to produce a specific section in regulations actually banning these substances. Instead of pointing to their regulations, they directed NAARV counsel to the FDA’s Guidance for Industry on Compounding (GFI 256) which actually indicated the legal mean by which compounded medications may be used.
Additionally, it has been brought to our attention that HIWU seized some Yunnan Bai Yao and it was tested. The test showed the presence of higenamine, a banned substance. Higenamine was not listed in the product’s ingredients. It is important to remember, there is unquantifiable risk in the use of herbal products in horses in a regulated racing environment.
We have been informed that a positive test result stemming from the presence of a Prohibited Substance in a supplement will be prosecuted by HIWU as an ADMC Program violation regardless of whether or not the product label listed the Prohibited Substance as an ingredient.
We must continue to caution against changes such as these, and we must continue to be the voice of reason keeping what is in the best interest of equine health and welfare.
Uncategorized
December 15, 2023
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), in partnership with horse racing groups and associations, is conducting a post-pandemic economic assessment to quantify the current economic impact of the Ontario horse racing industry. This will help OLG and the industry better understand how the horse racing landscape has changed since OLG’s first comprehensive economic impact study, conducted in 2019. In support of this important initiative, beginning January 9, 2024, a survey questionnaire will be made accessible through industry associations. Please look out for an email containing a link to the study. Alternatively, if you have not already done so, you may use the following LINK to tell OLG which email address you would like the survey sent to. Your participation is critical to help ensure the updated study captures a diverse range of data that accurately reflects the economic contribution of the industry. The survey will be open from January 9 to February 9, 2024. It will take no more than 15 minutes for respondents to complete and will ask about operational and capital spending, as well as workforce details. The updated study will provide an important refreshed baseline of validated information that can be relied on by industry members to engage in meaningful and productive discussions about the sector. Thank you in advance for taking part in the survey. If you have any questions about this initiative, please contact horseracingei@olg.ca.
Uncategorized
December 15, 2023
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario 90 Sheppard Avenue East Suite 200 Toronto ON M2N 0A4 December 15, 2023 Hello, Further the Information Bulletin released on December 5, 2023, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) will be hosting a series of virtual information sessions regarding the implementation of rules restricting the use of certain medications for horses participating in workouts or qualifiers starting on January 1, 2024
The purpose of these information sessions is to provide licensed veterinarians, owners and trainers additional guidance and address frequently asked questions.
This is a reminder to register for one or more of the planned sessions below: Information SessionGroupDateRegister Here Information Session 1 Licensed Veterinarians, Owners, and Trainers December 18th, 2023, 2 – 3pm Click here to register for Session 1 Information Session 2 Licensed Veterinarians, Owners, and Trainers January 16th, 2024, 2 – 3pm Click here to register for Session 2 Information Session 3 Licensed Veterinarians, Owners, and Trainers January 31st, 2024, 2 – 3pm Click here to register for Session 3
As part of its continued commitment to protect Ontario racehorses and strengthen the integrity of racing, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) introduced changes to the Rules of Racing on June 5, 2023 to promote the welfare of equine athletes.
After continued consultations with industry stakeholders, the AGCO paused implementation of TB 15.40.01 and SB 6.54.01, which restrict certain medications for horses participating in Official Workouts or Qualifiers, on August 4, 2023.
Starting January 1, 2024, rules TB 15.40.01 and SB 6.54.01 will take effect.
Horses participating in Workouts and Qualifiers must not test positive for any substance that is a corticosteroid, analgesic, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, or local anaesthetic (anesthetic) including, but not limited to, substances that have a Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency (CPMA) Elimination Guideline. The regulated medications can mask pain associated with injuries and/or have been linked to an increased risk of injuries and fatalities. In line with our continued focus on equine welfare, the implementation of these rules aims to protect horses and ensure they are only training at high speeds when they are well enough to do so.
Supporting Guidance Documents
The AGCO committed to providing additional guidance ahead of the effective date. The below information aims to provide licensees more clarity about the new requirements:
Provides additional clarity on rules TB 15.40.01 and SB 6.54.01 testing requirements, examples of regulated substances not included in the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency’s (CPMA) Elimination Guidelines but falling under the restricted categories, and guidance on navigating the CPMA Elimination Guidelines website.
15.40.01 No horse participating in a workout shall test positive for any substance that is a corticosteroid, analgesic, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, or local anaesthetic, including but not limited to, those substances that Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency has listed an Elimination Guideline.
Uncategorized
November 24, 2023
2023 HBPA AWARD OF EXCELLENCE WINNER The Board of the HBPA is proud to announce the winner of the 2023 HBPA Award of Excellence is Trainer RONALD SADLER. Ron has been actively involved in horseracing for over 40 years. He has bred, owned and trained many thoroughbreds throughout the years. Growing up in Northern Ontario, Ron always had an interest in horses. His journey began at the Humber College Equine Program. Upon graduating he opened the successful equestrian center Amberwood Farms in Richmond Hill. His interest in Thoroughbred racing had peaked while doing a student placement at Woodbine during his time at Humber. He eventually returned to Woodbine where he began his journey toward becoming a Thoroughbred trainer. Ron’s love for the industry would take him into instructing and training industry newcomers including teaching HBPA courses. He helped them develop a love and understanding of the horses first and racing second. Many of those people that were introduced to racing by Ron remain in the industry to this day. Ron’s dedication and commitment to our industry is remarkable, he is the first of offer a helping hand when needed. The HBPA will be making a live presentation to Ron at Woodbine Racetrack in December. As winner of our Award of Excellence he will be presented with a keepsake crystal award and monetary award on behalf of the HBPA of Ontario. The presentation will be available to view online.
STRONGER TOGETHER The HBPA would like to thank our Owners and Trainers who attended Wednesday’s information session. We appreciate those who took the time to voice their comments, questions, and make clear their concerns to the panel. Please be assured that the issues raised have been addressed by the HBPA to Woodbine and we will continue to do so. It was evident that the Fort Erie policy is very important to our members, so please know the HBPA will continue conversations with Woodbine on this topic.
Here are some key announcements from the event: KEY DATES FOR 2024 – Backstretch Opens: Monday, February 26, 2024 Opening Day: Saturday, April 27, 2024 King’s Plate: Saturday, August 17, 2024 DATE FOR KING’S PLATE IN 2024 – The 165th running of The King’s Plate will take place on Saturday, August 17, 2024. E.P. TAYLOR TURF PROJECT – In 2025, Woodbine will begin its replacement installation of over five-furlong section of the E.P. Taylor Turf Course. The replacement of the backstretch grass will also include the installation of a new drainage system, allowing for the possibility of an extended turf season.
SPECIAL THANKS The HBPA of Ontario would like to give Wayne Cavers a special thanks again for his generous donation toward winter feeding of the backstretch cats. During the winter months we provide food for the cats, which have made their home in the stalls and shedrows for the winter. We would also like to thank those horse people who graciously donate their time to make sure the cat food is distributed strategically during the off season.
Uncategorized
November 17, 2023
STRONGER TOGETHER Woodbine will be hosting a Stronger Together on Wednesday November 22nd in the Woodbine Backstretch starting at 11:30am. Woodbine’s new leadership will be on hand to discuss a variety of topics including 2024 race dates, racing investments, labour issues and sports betting. Those in attendance will be given the opportunity to ask questions of the Woodbine team, so we recommend our members attend. Lunch will be served following the presentation.
BACKSTRETCH APPRECIATION DAY Earlier this week the HBPA held our annual Hoodie giveaway for backstretch workers. AGCO licensed Trainers, Assistant Trainers, Grooms, Exercise Riders and Hotwalkers who came to our Woodbine backstretch office received a quality hoodie and a food voucher for a meal to be redeem in the backstretch kitchen. In addition, this Saturday November 18th the HBPA will be formally recognizing three Grooms and three Assistant Trainers who were voted for their outstanding work in 2023. Assistant Trainer of the Year went to Rick Hayashi (Paul Buttigieg), Jessie Ladouceur (Harold Ladouceur) and Valerie Topp (David Bell). Groom of the Year went to Denzil McKenzie (Patrick Dixon), Israel Pena-Cambray (Norm McKnight) and Alexa Wisnoski (Tony Gattellaro). Please join us in congratulating this year’s winners.
LONGRUN DAY AT THE RACE This Saturday November 18th is also LongRun Day at the Races. Come visit the LongRun team on the 2nd floor between 12:00pm and 3:00pm for their 2024 calendar giveaway. Jockey’s will be joining the team throughout the day to sign the calendars. There will also be merchandise, gift cards and Christmas cards available for purchase, so come get your Christmas shopping done!
Uncategorized
May 16, 2023
Let’s Meet Julia Ezra By: Jennifer Morrison
She might be just 19 years old but Julia Ezra has collected a lot of horsemanship knowledge in a short time. The daughter of longtime Ontario horsepeople Daryl and Michelle Ezra, Julia is expanding her horizons in Thoroughbred racing with training, handicapping and on-air work on her resumé. “I have wanted to take out my trainer’s license since I was 16, but you can’t [in Ontario] until you are 21,” said Julia. “For now, I will just try and do as many jobs as I can, learn more.”
Born in Welland, ON and one of four children for the Ezras, Julia was a ‘backstretch baby’, accompanying her mother to Fort Erie barn where Daryl has had a stable for horses since the early 1990s.
“As a kid, I would hide in the tack room at Fort Erie because they didn’t allow anyone under 12 working there,” laughed Julia.
Once she was a teenager, Julia had her grooming license and learned how to jog racehorses at a nearby farm. She credits jockey Anthony Husbands for helping her graduate to galloping horses at the track.
“Anthony taught me a lot,” said Julia. “I knew how to jog a horse, but Anthony really helped me to learn how to gallop.”
Julia laughs when she remembers one of her first workouts on a horse. “He was with me on another horse. He chirped to my horse to get him to go faster and then when I couldn’t pull the horse up, he grabbed him for me.”
Julia got a job as a pony rider at Fort Erie a few years ago and has filled that role on race days at Fort Erie. Last year she claimed her first horse, Reign by Rein, and that filly went on to win for the young horsewoman and be named the Distance Female Horse of the meeting.
Julia also got a chance to work in front of the camera on several occasions, handicapping races on the Fort Erie simulcast feed and hosting the HBPA Ontario Fort Erie Awards. And, on the biggest racing day of the Fort Erie season, Prince of Wales Day, Julia was enlisted to greet the winner of the second jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown while on horseback for the TSN broadcast.
“That was a highlight. First, I was ponying Ironstone to the gate for the race. Then I had to gallop fast to get to the other side of the track. I interviewed Justin Stein on Duke of Love after they won.”
Julia has moved her tack to Woodbine for this year where she is exercising horses for trainer Katarina Vassilieva. She is also set to join the pony team of Richard Persad at Woodbine, working each race day at Canada’s biggest track.
“I feel like I am learning a lot more here at Woodbine right now. I am on the pony, and I can watch so many different horses and trainers and riders go by. I like watching all the different horses training.”
Julia is also a co-founder of the Double Blooded Syndicate, an affordable horse ownership club for people new to the sport.
“Originally it was my idea to get a bunch of people together and claim a horse,” said Julia. “The first group we had, Krazy 8, was mostly just my Dad’s friends who had owned horses before. Then we started Double Blooded for newcomers.”
Double Blooded offers a share in the club for $1,000, a one-time payment that includes all training bills. Reign by Rein, sold by Julia to the club, will race for Double Blooded this year.
“It’s very simple and fun. We have group chats online and my Dad sends them videos of the horse all the time. On race day, we all hang out together.”
Encouraging new owners into horse racing is something at the top of Julia’s long list of things she wants to pursue in racing. Considering how far she has come already, it’s a good bet she can accomplish anything.
Alcohol and Gaming
