BC offers early-nomination discount

Breeders' Cup Ltd. announced Tuesday it has reduced its foal-nomination fee by $100 to $400 for any breeder who sends the nomination payment in through its online service by Aug. 1.

The usual fee to nominate a foal is $500 and is due Oct. 15. Breeders' Cup also accepts foal nominations after Oct. 15 and by Dec. 15, but that nomination costs $1,500.

Greg Avioli, president of the Breeders' Cup, said in a release that the organization had adopted the early-nomination discount as a way to encourage online nomination and to "reward nominators who commit their foals to the program earlier in the year."

In 2008, breeders nominated 14,502 foals to the Breeders' Cup, which makes the foals eligible for the organization's year-end, 14-race event and the supplements provided by the stakes program.