Death Knell: Thoroughbred Owner

Ontario Dept: In Ontario, a rising death knell for the financially gutted industry facing track closures and withering purses in a best-case scenario also peels for the beautiful four-legged creatures who carry jockeys and pull sulkies around 17 racing ovals. PHOTOS: Yearling sale at Woodbine, according to The Star. Against this horrific assessment, the finest 387 Ontario-bred thoroughbred babies go up for auction beginning Monday at Woodbine Racetrack . Horse people are worried, says thoroughbred owner and trainer Ian Howard of Vaughan and dead race horses. Thousands of them. Not good for business if your business is horse racing. A government panel assembled in June to study the sport s dim future has forecast a mass slaughter of up to 13,000 thoroughbreds, standardbreds and quarter horses by early next year should the industry collapse completely. Already, it s expected two-thirds of Ontario tracks will close, there will be fewer racing days, less money in the prize pot and therefore, less reason for owners and breeders to maintain expensive animals who may not have a place to run. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.