TORONTO — Ontario Racing is giving the province's standardbred industry a significant boost.
Standardbred racing will receive over $14 million in additional money as part of the Ontario government's boost in funding to horse racing in the province.
Last month, the province earmarked an additional $35 million annually to the industry over the next five years. However, it tasked Ontario Racing with deciding the breakdown between the three racing disciplines (thoroughbred, standardbred and quarter-horse), which it unveiled Thursday.
Ontario Racing governs the breeding, scheduling, and promotion of horse racing across Ontario. It is recognized by the provincial government as the industry's official authority.
Standardbred racing is conducted at 11 of Ontario's 14 racetracks.
Thoroughbred racing will receive over $10 million in additional funding while the quarter-horse industry will get $780,000. The remainder will be earmarked for racetrack infrastructure, running programs, capital improvements and administration.
An increase of $5 million will be allocated this year for the Standardbred Improvement Program (SIP), which conducts such events as Ontario Sires Stakes. An additional $4.3 million will be directed through SIP to races restricted to overnights for Ontario-bred and sired horses held at Woodbine Mohawk Park.
Another $4.79 million will go to additional purse funding -- $1 million to purses at Woodbine Mohawk Park and $3.79 million, in total, to the province’s other 10 tracks. That will push total core standardbred purses funded by government to $58 million.
As for the thoroughbred increase, $5 million will go to the Thoroughbred Improvement Program (TIP). The funds will be used to bolster Ontario-bred and sired stakes races, increase breeders’ awards and incentivize the breeding, raising and racing of thoroughbreds in the province.
Another $4.5 million will be directed through TIP to restricted opportunities for Ontario-bred and sired horses at Woodbine Racetrack. And at Fort Erie, the average per card purse level will rise 15 per cent from nearly $127,000 in '25 to over $146,000 in 2026.
Thoroughbred racing is conducted at both Woodbine and Fort Erie race tracks.
For the quarter-horse sector, there will be an increase of $500,000 for the Quarter Horse Improvement Program (QHIP) that supports breeding in the province. The fund will also be used to bolster Ontario-bred and sired stakes races, increase breeders’ awards and incentivize the breeding and raising of quarter horses in the province.
Roughly $280,000 will go to raising government-funded purses to over $2.63 million in total. The average per card purse level will increase 28 per cent from over $93,000 in 2025 to nearly $120,000 for the rest of this year.
The Ontario government's $175-million boost to horse racing in the next five years is over and above the terms of the province's funding agreement with the industry.
The funding agreement began in 2019 and provides up to $120 million annually to racing through 2038 to benefit racetracks, breeders and horse people throughout its term.
However, it was launched after the province cancelled the Slots at Racetracks Program (SARP) in 2012. SARP was established in 1998 and directed a portion of casino revenues to horse racing, approximately $345 million annually.
When SARP was cancelled, the province conceded the horse-racing industry supported 30,000 full-time equivalent jobs. Since SARP ended, some 12,000 industry jobs have reportedly been lost and race purses, despite transitional government aid, have largely remained stagnant over the last 10 years.
The government increase is aimed at protecting jobs and combating high inflation within the industry.
In its '23 economic impact report, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., reported horse racing contributed $1.91 billion to the province's gross domestic product and supported over 17,600 full-time jobs. It also stated the industry generated $329.8 million in tax revenue.
According to the OLG report, the average cost to produce and maintain a horse was $41,416 per thoroughbred, $26,828 per standardbred and $25,966 per quarter horse.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 9, 2026.
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
