CA Breeding Incentives Aimed at Reversing Contraction

Speaking before the California Horse Racing Board during its Nov. 19 meeting in Sacramento, Calif., an executive from the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association spotlighted three incentives aimed at reversing years of contraction in the state's breeding industry. CTBA president Doug Burge told commissioners that California-breds account for approximately half of the fields in the state, a dramatic shift from decades ago when they played a supporting role. The absence of racing in Northern California and the resulting consolidation to the south have intensified the importance of supporting breeders. With the Thoroughbred foal crop declining in California, as it is in many parts of the country, Burge elaborated on the CTBA's multipronged strategy, first announced in mid-August. In addition to the $30 million restricted racing and incentive program overseen by the CTBA, beginning with mares bred in 2026, "when those resulting foals hit the ground in 2027 and are registered with The Jockey Club and then Cal-bred registered with us, we're going to pay the breeder of record $1,000 per foal up to a cap of 25," Burge said. "With the consolidation of racing to the south, we're very concerned about the farms in the north and continuing to hopefully get them to stick with us and continue to breed. We're hoping that this carrot on top of the $30 million program works." The absence of racing in Northern California has led some owners of lower-level California-breds to ship to Washington or Arizona to seek competitive opportunities rather than race in Southern California—a trend that further pressures racing and breeding in the state. A second component of the CTBA plan is a mare recruitment program that began earlier this fall with the initial breeding stock sales in Kentucky. "For any mare that's purchased at a commercial sale (elsewhere) that then comes to California, when that mare drops her foal and is bred back, we're going to pay the purchaser a reimbursement of $3,000 per mare to help hopefully offset some of the transportation costs to get her to California," Burge said. Burge said this aspect of the program comes with two restrictions: the mare has to be purchased for at least $20,000 and be age 12 or younger. "And then the third part to this program is we've waived all of our Cal-bred registration fees for the next three years," he added. "We know you know—we sold our property. We're giving that money back to the breeders, not all of it, but over time, because we got to get in front of this thing, and those are some of the commitments we've made. And we're hoping a year from now, we can have this conversation and see some positive results." Burge's comments came before the CHRB authorized a mixed sale at Fairplex in Pomona Jan. 20. Following a question from commissioner Thomas Hudnut, Burge projected the number of Thoroughbred foals in the state would be "south of 1,000" horses next year. That figure was 3,664 in 2005, according to The Jockey Club. Purses in California, unlike those in other leading racing states, are not supplemented by gaming, but they remain rewarding. California-bred maiden special weight races will be contested for $70,000 purse this winter at Santa Anita Park, according to Bill Nader, president and CEO of the Thoroughbred Owners of California. Nader, in remarks made during an earlier portion of the CHRB meeting, noted a previously announced increase in the California-bred maiden bonus from $10,000 to $12,500 per race at Santa Anita for the upcoming meet and the addition of two former Kentucky stallions to California to stand at Rancho San Miguel: Collected and Eight Rings.