Milton, ON — Ontario harness racing fans will ring in the summer stakes season with a double dose of Ontario Sires Stakes and Prospect Series action on the Victoria Day weekend.

Flamboro Downs will host all four of the 3-year-old Prospect Series divisions on Saturday (May 20) and then welcome the 3-year-old trotting colts for the Grassroots season opener on Sunday (May 21), part of the Charles Juravinski Memorial Cup card.

The 3-year-old trotting colts will also open the Gold Series season, squaring off at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Monday (May 29).

As announced in the fall, the 2023 Ontario Sires Stakes season will see the Gold Series Super Finals go postward for C$300,000 per division and the Grassroots Championships for C$75,000. Each Prospect Series division will be worth C$8,000 in 2023, with a C$4,000 contribution from the host racetrack matched by the Horse Improvement Program.

Also new for 2023, the Gold Series Super Finals will be contested over two nights, with the 2-year-olds going postward on Friday (Oct. 13) and the 3-year-olds on Saturday (Oct. 14).

“Ontario breeders produce world class horses that, year-in and year-out, compete and win at the highest levels,” said Sandra Snyder, Senior Manager of Horse Improvement Program Administration at Ontario Racing. “The Standardbred Improvement Program Committee felt splitting the Super Finals across two nights gave Ontario Sired horses their best opportunity to do just that this October.”

The Grassroots Championships will once again be hosted by Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday (Sept. 30), with Semi-Finals on Thursday (Sept. 21) and Friday (Sept. 22), and Grand River Raceway will host the Prospect Series Finals on Wednesday (Sept. 27).

Click here to view the complete 2023 Ontario Sires Stakes schedule.