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Ten Percent Purse Hike at Upcoming Santa Anita Meeting

Santa Anita's 2021 Autumn Meeting, which opens Friday, Oct. 1, will now offer a 10% increase in all overnight races as Santa Anita and the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) have reached an agreement that will enable Santa Anita to provide a comprehensive purse increase for the third consecutive race meeting, dating back to the 2020 Autumn Meet.

“This is a very significant development and we want to thank everyone at TOC for helping to make this happen,” said Chris Merz, Santa Anita Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. “To be able to offer a purse increase for the third meet in-a-row clearly demonstrates we are trending in the right direction and that's important when owners and horsemen are making plans not only for racing, but breeding as well.

“Our Autumn stall applications are very encouraging as is the success of the current meet at Del Mar. I think people around the country and here in California are realizing this is a tremendous place to race and train and we hope to keep the momentum going into the new year.”

With the two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships scheduled for Nov. 5 & 6 at Del Mar, there will be added interest in a variety of Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” qualifying races, the first of which will be contested on opening day, Oct. 1.

“This purse increase is significant not only to our owners and horsemen, but to all of us in the Thoroughbred industry here in California,” said Nate Newby, Santa Anita Senior Vice President and General Manager. “There's no question we're moving in the right direction and we're hopeful this is going to help with field size which will provide better gambling opportunities for our fans.”

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Santa Anita Announces Increased Purses For Winter/Spring Race Meet

Santa Anita Park has announced substantial purse increases for its traditional Winter/Spring Race Meeting, which opens on Dec. 26. In partnership with the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC), these purse increases will be in effect for overnight as well as stakes races beginning opening day Dec. 26.

With specifics relative to individual stakes races to be announced soon, Santa Anita will be offering $67,000 maiden special weight races—a $6,000 increase over what was offered at the 2020-21 Winter/Spring Meeting. Open, first condition allowance races will also get a $6,000 purse hike, from $63,000 to $69,000. Another specific increase will be offered to those horses running for a $25,000 claiming tag, as the purse is now set at $40,000, up from $36,000.

“We're very happy to be in a position to announce these purse increases and we'll have additional information available for everyone very soon,” said Chris Merz, Santa Anita Director of Racing and Racing Secretary. “We're certainly hopeful that owners and horsemen both here in California and around the country will consider all that we're offering and make plans to train and race at Santa Anita this winter. Here in California, our purse structure is based solely upon pari-mutuel handle. There are no casino subsidies available. That said, we are very encouraged by recent trends in California racing and we're hopeful we can continue on an upward path this winter and into the spring.”

Nate Newby, Santa Anita Senior Vice President and General Manager, also expressed optimism regarding the direction of California racing and Santa Anita's role in its resurgence.

“There are now many reasons to be optimistic about 2021 and beyond,” said Newby. “We've been able to raise purses at the Winter/Spring Meet by 10 percent for two consecutive years now and that's certainly good news. We have invested heavily in change and in our racing infrastructure, which has resulted in better, safer racing, which is our top priority.

“Looking ahead to the winter and spring, we are greatly encouraged that we're going to be able to provide our fans with a top quality product that will include improved betting opportunities which is what drives our entire industry. With the addition of our turf chute this past winter, we are confident that with good weather, we're going to be in a position to offer owners and horsemen the best turf and main track racing in the country.”

With this year's two-day Breeders' Cup World Championships set for Nov. 5 & 6 at Del Mar, Santa Anita's 16-day Autumn Meet, which opens on Friday, Oct. 1, will offer fans and horsemen a wide variety of Breeders' Cup “Win & You're In” qualifying races which will no-doubt serve as showcases for potential champions. Purses, which were increased for last year's Autumn stand, will remain the same this year, through closing day, Oct. 31.

The Grade 2, $200,000 Eddie D Stakes, for 3-year-olds and up at 6 ½ furlongs on turf, will highlight the opening day program on Oct. 1.

For additional information regarding the 2021 Autumn Meet and the 2021-22 Winter Spring Meeting, please visit santaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.

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Kentucky Downs Boosts Non-Stakes Purses By Eight Percent

Kentucky Downs will have an eight-percent purse increase in its non-stakes races from what was announced previously in the early September meet's condition book.

Maiden special-weight races for Kentucky-breds will now offer a purse of $135,000; first-level allowance race $145,800 and second-level allowance races $156,600. The increase applies to every non-stakes race at the meet except the four starter-allowance races carrying $100,000 purses as qualifiers for the Claiming Crown later this year at Gulfstream Park.

The country's most celebrated turf meet runs Sept. 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 and 12 over America's only European-style course. Tickets for reserved seating and dining can be purchased at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/kentuckydowns/.

“Not everybody has stakes horses, and Kentucky Downs gives those owners an opportunity to run for as much money as some stakes offer,” said Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs' Vice President for Racing. “We know much of the money earned will be reinvested in the industry, starting at the horse auctions in Lexington that come right after our meet.

“Money attracts horses, and horses mean jobs. Every horse that comes to Kentucky Downs to race is a benefit to area businesses, including hotels and restaurants.”

The additional funds for overnight races are split evenly between association money, which can be used on any race and for which every horse competes, and purse supplements from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) for horses born in the state and sired by a Kentucky stallion. Such Kentucky-breds reflect the majority of horses racing.

The additional Kentucky-bred purse supplements were approved last week by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's KTDF advisory committee.

Said KTDF committee chair and commission member Bill Landes: “Kentucky Downs' additional positive adjustment to their KTDF overnight purses is a symbol of their good stewardship of KTDF funds but also recognizes their dedication to making Kentucky the pre-eminent racing jurisdiction in America.”

Overall purses offered at the meet now are scheduled to total $15,259,400, which includes $10 million spread among 16 stakes races. The meet's overnight (maiden, allowance and claiming) races are scheduled to average $876,000 a day.

“But there's more to the owner's experience than purses,” Nicholson said. “We've got some surprises in store this meet for the owners who put on our show. We want Kentucky Downs to be a track that, win or lose, owners can't wait to return to run their horses.”

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Pennsylvania-Bred Stakes Schedule Receives a Boost

The Pennsylvania-bred stakes schedule received a major boost for the remainder of the year, with four stakes doubling in value to $200,000, plus the addition of two $100,000 stakes. A total of $2.6 million in purses will now be paid out in restricted, state-bred stakes in 2021.

“Our revenue has stabilized and the Race Horse Development Trust Fund has stood strong,” Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association's executive secretary Brian Sanfratello said. “We wanted to send a message that Pennsylvania is on the move and the premier place to breed and race.”

Purses have been increased for the year-end 2-year-old stakes, the Shamrock Rose for fillies at Penn National Nov. 26 and the Pennsylvania Nursery at Parx Racing Dec. 7, as well as the Alphabet Soup and Plum Pretty for older runners on Parx Racing's rich Sept. 25 Pennsylvania Derby card. Returning to the schedule are two six-furlong 3-year-old stakes cut earlier in the year–the New Start for fillies, and the Danzig–both to run at Penn National Oct. 22.

Elizabeth Merryman, chair of the PHBA racing committee, says the increases come at an opportune time.

“We're making up for last year,” she explained, noting the reductions to the PHBA Breeding Fund due to COVID-19, as well as attempts by the governor to alter the Fund, which have since been resolved. “Now that things have gotten much more stabilized, it's great that we can add stakes and put big purses on the 2-year-old stakes at the right time of the year, where they can catch the attention of people making buying decisions at the sales. Buyers are going to look closer at the PA-breds, which helps the breeders.

She continued, “We're giving away substantial sums of money and the program is getting bigger and stronger. It helps the breeders by advertising the program.”

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