New York Stallion Stakes to eliminate individual foal nomination fees

Foals by stallions who are nominated to the New York Stallion Stakes Series will be automatically eligible for all races in the series without an individual nomination fee beginning with the foal crop of 2015, the New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc., announced on Monday. Under the current system, a nomination fee must be paid for both stallion and foal.

As in the past, stallions will be required to nominate to the series by mid-February, with the minimum nomination fee remaining at $2,500, or the stallion’s advertised fee, whichever is higher. Any foal sired by a nominated stallion will be automatically eligible for the series, beginning with races of 2017, at no charge.

“This is a terrific way to increase participation in the New York Stallion Series races and everybody wins – stallion owners, breeders, owners and the racetrack operator,” said Jeffrey Cannizzo, executive director of the NYTB. “All the progeny of a stallion will automatically be eligible. Nobody falls through the cracks because a breeder or buyer forgot to nominate a foal, and there will be a bigger pool of horses to draw from when the races come up, which will make for a better series.”

The new system takes effect for foals conceived next year and born in 2015. Current horses of racing age, 2-year-olds, yearlings, weanlings, or foals in utero to be born in 2014 are still subject to the old rules and must be nominated individually.