STAKES RULES & REGULATIONS

THE QROOI STAKES PROGRAM

The QROOI Stakes Program for 2023 includes a total of sixteen (16) stakes and six (6) overnight series scheduled to be conducted at Ajax Downs in Ontario during May through October 2023.
QROOI Stakes Races are conducted at racetracks in Ontario, and fall under the jurisdiction of the AGCO . All participants are bound by the rules of the AGCO and the rules of the American Quarter Horse Association. The conditions outlined in this Guide shall apply to all stakes races, including trials, run under the auspices of Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario Inc. (QROOI) in 2023. The QROOI reserves the right to alter the location of any stakes race to another racetrack within the province of Ontario. Nomination/Sustaining fees will not be returned if a change of location occurs.

The Stakes Conditions have been approved by the AGCO.

Purse funds for the QROOI Stakes Program are provided by the Ontario Quarter Horse Racing Industry Development Program (QHRIDP), as administered by the AGCO. As such, the Program Administrator (OR) in consultation with QROOI reserves the right to alter the location within Ontario, the date or the conditions of a stakes race conducted under the QROOI Stakes Program, where it is in the best interests of Quarter Horse Racing in Ontario to do so. Further details on the Program and the 2019 Breeding Program Criteria can be accessed from the Ontario website at www.ontarioracing.com or by calling (416) 477-5529.

All purses offered are in Canadian dollars (Cdn. $) unless indicated otherwise in the conditions of the stake.

DEFINITIONS:
A QROOI stakes race is defined as any AQHA/APHA recognized stakes race, as well as any QROOI race run as part of the QROOI Stakes Program.

Where eligibility criteria refer to definitions for horse or owner, the respective definition will be as included in the 2019 Program Criteria for the Ontario Quarter Horse Racing Industry Development Program. The 2019 Program Criteria can be viewed at:www.ontarioracing.com

1. Submission of payments

Where stakes require nomination and/or sustaining payments, payments MUST be submitted by the required deadline to the offices of the QROOI, Attention Stakes Coordinator. Applications sent by mail will be received after the deadline if postmarked with the deadline date. Any applications received by mail that have no postmark or have an unreadable postmark on the envelope will only be accepted until the deadline date. It is suggested that post-dated cheques for all sustaining payments be sent with the nomination. Upon notification to the Stakes Coordinator that a horse is being withdrawn, all cheques covering future payments will be returned to the nominee. Cheques MUST have the horse’s name and race entered, shown on it. All payments must be in Canadian Funds.

The $50 Nomination Fee for Overnight Stakes is non-refundable.

2. Withdrawal from Program

Withdrawal from a Stakes race must be done by midnight of the payment due date, verbally and confirmed in writing to the Stakes Coordinator. A stop payment of a cheque used to nominate or enter a horse into the Stakes Program will not constitute withdrawal from the Stakes Program.

3. Missed payment

Late penalties must be paid when the nomination date is missed or a second sustaining payment is missed. If a sustaining payment is missed, the horse will become removed from the race. The horse can be reinstated by paying triple the amount of the missed payment prior to the due date of the next payment. A returned cheque will be treated the same as a missed payment, with the exception where if a letter of explanation is supplied from the bank, indicating bank error rather than non-sufficient funds as the reason.

4. Late Penalties

Late penalties will be accepted at triple the missed payment up to and including the next payment due. At no time will a horse be allowed to miss two consecutive payments.

5. Entry to Finals

Where entry into the finals of a stakes race is based on the results of time trials conducted in advance of the final, the finalists will be selected by the Race Secretary on the basis of time, using one-hundredths of a second. Where two or more horses run the same time, the photo strip will be used. Where two or more horses run the same times in different races, placing shall be drawn by lot by the Race Secretary in the presence of the affected owners or their representatives. If a tie occurs for the final position, the owners or their representative will attend a draw to determine which horse goes to the final. This draw will be made by the Race Secretary as soon as it is practical. Entry fees are due and payable at the time of entry. The
entry fees for any also eligible horses are due and payable when the horse is assigned a post position.

6. Effect of change in order of finish in a time trial

In the event a horse is placed for interference in a time trial, it shall receive the time of the horse it is placed behind plus one one-hundredth of a second, and shall be eligible to qualify for the finals of the race on the basis of the assigned time.

7. Time Trials not required

If time trials are not required, the final will run as advertised.

8. Horse unable to participate in final (Time Trials)

If a horse has qualified for the final of a Stakes race through trials, and is unable to compete in the finals, he will be eligible for last place money. Horses that have qualified for the final cannot race in another race at Ajax Downs on or within 48 hours of the date of the final. If more than one horse scratches, the last position monies will be divided equally among them.

9. Horse unable to participate in final (No Time Trials)

If a horse has qualified for a Stakes race but is unable to participate, the next horse with preference (meeting eligibility criteria) will run. Two also eligible horses will be carded in order of preference, and will draw in when a horse scratches. The also eligible horses will be released according to the time set by the Association. In the case where a horse is scratched after the also eligible horses have been released, the scratched horse’s portion of the purse will be
redistributed to the remaining field.

10. Required number of sustained and/or nominated horses

Should any race have less than ten horses nominated, the race will be cancelled and all payments will be returned to the owners. An exception to this requirement may be allowed by the Board of Directors of the QROOI, with approval of the AGCO, or where the race conditions specify less than ten starters (for example races at 870 yards).

11. Horse declared a non-starter

In the event that the Stewards declare a horse to be a non-starter due to malfunction of the starting gates during a trial, all sustaining and/or nomination payments will be refunded. If a horse is declared a non-starter in the finals, it shall receive last place money.

12. Jockeys’ Fees

Jockeys’ fees for Stakes Finals will be deducted from the purse money earned. Except in the circumstance that the jockey does not attend or withdraws from the mount, jockey fees are due and payable for any horse that entered and declared into a final.

13. Purse Distribution

Purse distribution for Stakes races will be as follows: 40%, 20%, 10%, 8%, 7%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2% and 1%.
When there are less than 10 horses participating in a Stakes race, the remaining percentage of purse money will be split proportionately among the participants. Payout of the purses will be made to the Owner (Lessee) of record at the time of the race.

14. Declaring Entry

Any horse, which has been nominated and sustained to a particular Stakes race must declare entry with the Race Secretary to maintain its eligibility.

15. Postponing

A stakes race (including trials or finals), which cannot be run on the advertised date but can be rescheduled within 14 clear days of the original date, is considered postponed and the following will apply:

1. The horses are not required to be re-entered, as all horses are considered to have maintained their eligibility (unless the trainer has done something to make them ineligible, e.g. the horse is on the Stewards’ List).
2. As all originally entered horses are still considered eligible, the stakes race will be conducted as drawn and all starting fees remain due and payable.
3. Any horse that was scratched for the original date, remains scratched for the postponed date, and the starting fee is due and payable.
4. To maintain their eligibility to the postponed race, horses entered and eligible to the race cannot enter and race in another race.

16. Re-scheduling

A stakes race (including trials or finals), which cannot be run on the advertised dates but cannot be scheduled within 14 clear days of the original date, is considered re-scheduled and the following will apply:

1. Eligible horses must be re-entered to the re-scheduled race. Trainers are responsible for declaring horses to the re-scheduled race, and under the Rules of Racing responsible for ensuring entry of an eligible horse. Rules surrounding eligibility continue to apply.
2. Only horses declared to the original event are eligible to be declared to the re-scheduled event.
3. Any horse that was scratched before the decision to cancel was made is ineligible to enter in the re-scheduled event. The starting fee for that horse remains payable.
4. Where the horse’s interests decide not to enter the horse to the re-scheduled event, they are not required to pay the starting fee.
5. There will be a redraw for post positions.
6. Where the re-scheduled race is a Final, all results from any required trials will be carried over.

17. Cancellation where the entry box has closed

In the case where the entries have been received and the box has closed for a stakes race that subsequently cannot be postponed or re-scheduled.

1. The total nomination, sustaining and starting payments applicable to that race shall be divided equally among all horses that were declared to enter and not scratched.
2. All purse monies and any applicable points shall be divided equally among all horses that were declared to enter and not scratched.

18. Cancellation

Any stake race that did not hold trials that receives less than five (5) entries at the entry box will be cancelled and all nomination/sustaining payments will be refunded.

19. Administration Fee

The Quarter Racing Owners of Ontario Inc. will charge an administration fee of not more than 10% from all stakes purses.

PROGRAM AWARDS:

Horses enrolled in the Ontario Quarter Horse Racing Industry Development Program (QHRIDP) will earn Breeders Awards and Stallion Awards where race conditions meet Program eligibility requirements.

QROOI AWARDS PROGRAM:

Points will be awarded for the annual QROOI Awards Program based on the following Points Structure:

Under no circumstances will the last place horse receive points. If the jockey has earned a fee, the horse will count as a participant. All horses in a dead heat will receive the points for the position of finish and the subsequent horse or horses will receive points in accordance with the number of horses ahead of them.