November 9, 2018
Dear Members:
It is with dismay that we advise you that the CTHS (Ontario Division) has received formal notice from Ontario Racing (OR) of termination of our Agreement to manage the Breeders Portion of the Thoroughbred Improvement Program effective January 31, 2019. Click here to view the Termination Notice.
The CTHS (Ontario Division) has been administering the Breeders Portion of the program (approximately 25% of the total fund), in some format, for over 40 years and therefore we were quite shocked to receive this notice.
As of February 1, 2019 the Breeders portion of the program will now be administered by Ontario Racing Management (ORM). ORM is a new for profit branch of Woodbine Entertainment that was constituted as part of the Provincial Long Term Funding Agreement.
ORM & OR entered into an agreement for ORM to perform all material management and operation services, at the direction of OR. As per the Long Term Funding Agreement, Ontario Racing receives an annual administration payment of $3.4 M from OLG of which we understand that ORM (Woodbine) receives $3.2 M for their services.
The services we provided, for a very nominal administration fee, include:
- Annual Mare Declaration Forms
- Annual Ontario-Bred Status
- Annual Stallion Nominations
- Monthly Breeders Awards Distribution
- Annual Out of Province Breeders Awards
- Monthly Fort Erie Owners Bonuses
- Sales Credits
- Annual Stallion Awards
We believe that we have the most knowledge and experience to administer this portion of the program and will be working hard to have this termination reversed. We fear that going forward the program will not be developed and administered in the best interest of breeders and that going forward Breeders Awards and Stallion Awards could be discontinued and put into the racing program. Breeder’s organizations throughout North America administer their programs not the racetracks.
We are in a desperate need of support from our Breeders to help us in this battle.
Please email (cthsont@idirect.com) or fax (416-675-9405) your letters of support for the CTHS to remain as the administrator of the Breeders portion of the program.
On behalf of the Board of Directors
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