by Karen Hauver, OSS Administration Coordinator

Toronto, ON — The Ontario Sires Stakes Administration is reminding all broodmare owners with mares in foal to OSS registered stallions that the new Mare Residency Program will begin with foals of 2009. Under this Mare Residency Program, Ontario Bred Rewards (formerly called Breeders Rewards) will only be paid for foals born in Ontario out of Ontario Resident Mares.

To qualify as an Ontario Resident Mare, the mare must reside in Ontario for 180 consecutive days including the date of foaling, and she must be registered with The Program.

Any owner wishing to have their 2009 foals eligible for the Ontario Bred Rewards earned in OSS races in 2011 and 2012 will need to ensure that their mare is residing in the province of Ontario before she foals. If she arrived in Ontario less than 179 days before she foaled, she will need to stay in Ontario until her total residency (including foaling day) meets the 180 day requirement.

The forms to enroll the mare are expected to be available within the next few weeks. They will be distributed to the corresponding owner of every mare that was bred to an OSS registered stallion in 2008. In order to accommodate program start-up issues, special conditions for registering a broodmare for the 2009 foaling season have been put in place that will allow for submitting the application after the date of foaling.

For more information, please contact: Karen Hauver, OSS Administration Coordinator, (519) 369-3545 or Wendy Hoogeveen, Director of Industry Development and Support, (416) 213-0520.