Sire Stakes
ALBERTA BREEDER & OWNER INCENTIVES
Breeder and Ownership Awards in Alberta are funded through Horse Racing Alberta’s Breed Improvement Program. The program allots set amounts to a tri-part bonus system. BIP funds also partially subsidize the Alberta Sires Stakes program through purse money infusions.
Alberta is unique in its bonus structure, allocating funds for Owner, Breeder and Stallion bonus programs. Each program is allocated funding at the outset of a given year with varying distribution methods. The bonus programs are administered by the Alberta Standardbred Horse Association.
Owners Bonus
This unique bonus program offers a generous incentive to the owners of all Alberta-sired horses aged two through four. The program allocates a varying bonus at 15% on all non-stakes race earnings within the Province to the owners of Alberta-sired horses. The program further requires that the sires of such horses must be registered with the Alberta Sires Stakes program at the time of conception. The 2011 value of the program has been pegged at $250,000.
Breeders/Mares Bonus
The Breeders Bonus program offers funding to the owner of mares that are bred to stallions registered with the Alberta Sires Stakes program. A unique distribution formula has been created to allocate appropriate funding to mare owners based on the earnings of said mare’s progeny. Earnings of Alberta-sired horses aged two through four, inclusive of stakes race earnings and out-of province earnings, are eligible for a share of the annual bonus pool – established at $300,000 for 2011. Eligible horses must also be foaled in Alberta. The bonus amount for an individual mare owner is a function of the mare’s eligible progeny earnings as a percentage of the earnings of all eligible horses. For example, if Foal A has bonus-eligible earnings of $100,000 in 2011 and the earnings of all eligible horses in 2011 amount to $10,000,000, the owner of Foal A’s mare will receive a bonus amounting to 1% of the annual bonus pool $6,000 of a $600,000 total pool. In 2002 a change was made so that the bonus is now paid to the owner of the mare at the time of the foal’s conception. Starting with foals of 2004. (Breedings of 2003). Foals as of 2005 must be foaled in Alberta to be eligible for the bonus.
Stallion Bonus
2010 was the final year that a Stallion bonus was available to the Stallion owners in Alberta.
