Breeders' Cup adopts tiered foal nomination fee structure

Breeders’ Cup has adopted a three-tier structure for its foal nomination fees that will be based on a stallion’s stud fee, the organization announced on Wednesday.

The new structure, which will go into effect for foals born in 2027, will lower the nomination fee to $200 for foals whose sires stood for $5,000 or less. At the same time, the nomination fee for foals whose sires stood for $100,000 or more will rise to $600.
Currently, the foal nomination fee is $400 regardless of a stallion’s stud fee. The fee will remain $400 for those foals whose sires had a stud fee between $5,001 and $99,999.

The new fee structure was approved recently by the organization’s board of directors.

The Breeders’ Cup program relies on nomination fees to fund the purses for its 14 year-end races and several of its programs. A horse must be nominated to participate in any of the races. Horses can be nominated after the foal deadline, but the fees escalate sharply depending on age.

Dora Delgado, Breeders’ Cup’s executive vice president and chief racing officer, said that the new structure will lessen the burden on breeders of limited means.

“Making participation more equitable for breeders across all segments of the industry is a top priority, while simultaneously preserving the exceptional lifetime value of a Breeders' Cup nomination,” Delgado said.
 

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