Ship and Win program returns for 13th season

A purse incentive program designed to lure horses from other circuits or countries to Del Mar will continue this summer with the same financial terms as in 2022, track officials announced earlier this week.

The track’s ship and win program will offer a $5,000 starter bonus and a 50 percent purse bonus in overnight races on dirt to the owners of horses who have not run in California in the preceding 12 months and are not first-time starters. For turf races, there will be a $4,000 starter bonus and a 40 percent enhancement of purses earned in overnight races.

The starter bonuses will be paid to stakes runners, but there is not a purse enhancement for qualified horses in such races. The bonuses in overnight races are paid if a runner finishes in the first five.

The bonuses are in effect through the summer meeting. If a horse is claimed in its first start of the season, the original owner will receive the supplements through the meeting. Horses can have up to two starts at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting in May or June and remain eligible for the bonuses at Del Mar. A start at the Los Alamitos summer meeting would nullify eligibility, Del Mar officials said.

:: Get ready for Santa Anita racing with DRF Past Performances, Picks, and Clocker Reports.

This is the 13th year of the program. A record 222 horses were brought to Del Mar from other circuits last summer, well above the previous record of 186 set in the summer of 2021, according to track officials.

The incentive program was cited by track officials for playing a major role in higher average field size last summer. The track averaged a record 9.14 runners per race compared to 8.45 at the 2021 summer meeting.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.