More than
$12 million awarded to Kentucky Breeders through Thoroughbred Breeders’
Incentive Fund
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 23, 2018) - The Kentucky
Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) announced today the release of the 2017 Kentucky
Thoroughbred Breeders’ Incentive Funds (KBIF). The awards total more than $12
million for Kentucky breeders, which is a seven-year high for the program.
The incentive fund
encourages Thoroughbred horse owners and breeders to conduct business in
Kentucky, which benefits the state’s economy and helps guarantee that horse
racing remains one of Kentucky’s signature industries. To qualify for the award,
a mare must be in the state of Kentucky during the entire gestation. The final
award amount is based on the foal’s eventual earnings at the racetrack.
“I am honored
to recognize Kentucky breeders for their success over the past year and for
their continued contributions to horse racing,” said KHRC Executive Director
Marc A. Guilfoil. “Their contribution to the state’s equine industry has a
ripple effect on our economy, creating jobs and increasing tourism dollars,
which is exactly what the incentive fund was created to do.”
Last year, Kentucky-breds
raced and won 37 group pattern races in Canada, England, France, and Ireland.
Kentucky-breds won over 260 graded races in the US, including the Triple Crown
with Always Dreaming, Cloud Computing, and Tapwrit, and the 2017 Horse of the
Year, Gun Runner, winning awards in Arkansas, Kentucky, and New York.
The KBIF is
funded through a percentage of the sales and use tax on the fees paid when a
stallion is bred to a mare in Kentucky.
For more information, including a list of 2017 award winners and
statistics on races awarded,
visit http://khrc.ky.gov/Pages/KBIF.aspx.
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