Milton, ON — As the Ontario Sires Stakes enters its 50th season, its golden anniversary will be celebrated at 11 Standardbred tracks across Ontario.

On select dates, tracks will hold special OSS 50th Anniversary Celebration days, where fans will be able to watch OSS Gold or Grassroots races, view memorabilia from seasons past, enjoy giveaways and more.

“I’ve been involved since the inception of the Sires Stakes,” said longtime owner, trainer and driver John Kopas. “I’ve got a lot of fond memories of participating in the Sires Stakes.”

Kopas, and other luminaries from the OSS, will be providing photos and other pieces of memorabilia over the years for fans to view when they come on down to the track on the anniversary dates.

Please see the full schedule of the celebration dates below:

Sunday, May 19 – Flamboro Downs
Saturday, May 25 – Woodbine Mohawk Park
Friday, May 31 – The Raceway at Western Fair District
Sunday, June 23 – Rideau Carleton Raceway
Monday, July 1 – Dresden Raceway
Sunday July 7 – Clinton Raceway
Friday, July 19 – Kawartha Downs
Sunday, Aug. 11 – Georgian Downs
Saturday, Aug. 24 – Hanover Raceway
Friday, Sept. 6 – Grand River Raceway
Saturday, Sept. 7 – Hiawatha Horse Park

The Ontario Sires Stakes program was established in 1974 with the objective of promoting breeding of Standardbred horses in Ontario and to provide economic incentives to breeders to improve the quality of the Ontario sired horse.