Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approves increase in fees for KTDF eligibility

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Tuesday approved an increase in fees to become eligible for the state’s Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund in order to pay for studies of issues impacting the breeding industry.

The KHRC approved the increase in fees by a unanimous voice vote. The increase in fees, which will amount to approximately $160,000 per year, had earlier been discussed by the commission’s KTDF advisory committee, which had recommended that the commission approve the move on Aug. 3.

Chauncy Morris, executive director of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, which administers the KTDF, said that the funding would be used for “emergent, proactive steps to fund research for reproductive health.”

The KTDF awards purse bonuses to Kentucky-bred horses that participate in races at state tracks. To be eligible for the purse bonuses, horses and stallions must be registered with the KTDF.

Under the increases, the fee to nominate as a foal would rise from $60 to $75, and the fee to nominate as a yearling would rise from $75 to $100. The fee to nominate as a stallion would rise from a flat fee of $350 to a scale that runs from $400 to $800 based on the stallion’s stud fee.

Also at the Tuesday meeting, the KHRC unanimously approved two new bets for the Keeneland October race meet – a pick three that will link three turf races on a single card (the races will not necessarily appear consecutively), and a $1 minimum Super-Hi 5 bet with a carryover component.