from the Ontario Racing Commission

Toronto, ON — On Saturday (Sept. 21) at the Ontario Sire Stakes Grassroots Championships, ORC Chair Rod Seiling announced that consolations for the OSS Gold Series and the Grassroots Series will be conducted in early October.

While still conditional upon ORC Board approval, which is expected Thursday, the addition to the OSS season is possible due to participation fees being greater than originally budgeted and purse funds not required where there were fewer than five Grassroots divisions.

During planning stages for the 2013 season, the ORC committed to the industry that it would ensure a 2013 program that paid out all 2013 program money in the 2013 season.

Gold Series Consolation

The Consolation for the Gold Series horses will be contested in one division per age, sex and gait at Grand River Raceway on Sunday (Oct. 13) for a purse of C$50,000. The top nine Gold point earners that are entered will be drawn in. To ensure full fields in both the Super Finals and the Gold consolations, horses that competed but did not earn money in the Gold Super Final will also be allowed to enter the consolation. The consolation will be cancelled if there is not a minimum of five horses drawn in.

Grassroots Series Consolation

Two divisions of Grassroots Consolations for each age, sex and gait will be contested on Oct. 14 and 15 at Western Fair Raceway. The top 16 point earners entered will compete for a purse of C$20,000 for each division. As in the Gold Series, horses that raced in the Grassroots finals but did not earn money will be allowed to enter into the Grassroots consolations. A consolation will be cancelled if there is not a minimum of five horses entered.

In the event of nine entries, the consolation will be contested in one division with two trailers.

Ten or more entries will result in two divisions of eight horses.

Horses that are eligible to be entered into both the Gold and Grassroots consolations due to their point accumulation can be entered into both, but will only be drawn into one. All horses must be declared by the box closing time at each track. The box for Western Fair for Oct. 14, however, will be held open for entries for the Grassroots consolations until 12 noon on Wednesday (Oct. 9) to allow for the completion of the Gold consolation draw at Grand River.

No starting fees will be required for the consolation races.