CHRB subcommittee to talk about breeding season/stallion share rule

A subcommittee of the California Horse Racing Board is scheduled to discuss a radical proposal next week that would require the owners of horses that win certain stakes in the state to provide winning riders with a breeding season or a stallion share.

According to racing board documents, the proposal will only be discussed at Wednesday’s committee meeting in Sacramento, and is not subject to a formal vote. A proposed rule must be part of a formal hearing and vote by the same committee at a future meeting before the issue reaches the full racing board. The process would include a public comment period before a proposed rule would be voted on by the full racing board.

If the proposal progresses to that stage, the process could take months, if not longer.

:: Win big at Santa Anita: Get DRF Past Performances, Picks, Clocker Reports and Betting Strategies.

The proposal is scheduled to be discussed at the racing board’s Jockey and Driver Welfare Committee, which consists of racing board vice-chairman Oscar Gonzales and commissioners Damascus Castellanos and Thomas Hudnut. Hudnut was recently appointed to the board.

The stakes races that would be included in this program are not detailed in a one-page description of the proposed rule on the racing board’s website. The description says that a “single, one-time breeding right or season to the rider of colts and horses that win certain stakes in California” would be given to the winning rider.

The racing board documents do not provide details on any proposed rule.

“The California Horse Racing Board seeks input from stakeholders regarding the feasibility of making this practice a regulatory requirement,” the statement read.

Currently, Jockeys and trainers are occasionally given breeding seasons or stallion shares by owners as a financial bonus for their involvements in the success of the horses. Such seasons or shares can range in value from a few thousand dollars to more than six figures for the sport’s top stallions.