Ontario Racing's Mare Purchase Program Concludes

Ontario Racing's Mare Purchase Program (MPP), designed to bolster the province's breeding and racing industry through its Thoroughbred Horse Improvement Program (TIP), has concluded with a total of 123 new broodmares added to the breeding program and 76 of those pledged to breed back to Ontario stallions.

Through the end of the OBS Winter Mixed sale Jan. 29, a total of 24 in-foal broodmares were purchased at various public auctions with 16 expected to be bred back to a registered Ontario sire during the 2020-21 breedingseason and eligible for the MPP program offer.

The Mare Purchase Program offered eligible applicants 50% of the purchase price of an in-foal broodmare, up to a maximum of $15,000 (CDN), at various recognized public auctions, plus another $2,500 (CDN) as an Ontario Sire 'breedback' incentive.

Last month, the Mare Recruitment Program, which offered $5,000 (CDN) to horsepeople to bring an in-foal mare to Ontario to foal, also with an Ontario Sire breed back incentive worth $2,500 (CDN), had 99 broodmares with 60 pledged to be bred back to a registered Ontario sire, submitted. The paperwork for 23 broodmares (21 bred back to an Ontario sire) came through immediately after the time the program was fully subscribed. Ontario Racing will disburse for those submissions.

“The success of the Mare Purchase Program and Mare Recruitment Program has gone beyond our expectations,” said David Anderson, longtime breeder-owner and Ontario Racing (OR) board member. “The objectives of Ontario Racing's ThoroughbredHorse Improvement committee were crafted to accommodate all sectors of the racing and breeding community.  We want the broodmares to stay in Ontario permanently, offer a significant incentive to breed back to a registered Ontario sire, to produce an Ontario-bred,to be sold at the local yearling sale, while eventually racing at Woodbine or Fort Erie. We're clearly off to a great start.”