Six trainers battle for bonuses

BALTIMORE – Six trainers are eligible for the $100,000 trainers’ participation bonus that has been tied to the Friday and Saturday stakes and starter races at Pimlico.

According to track officials, they are Bob Baffert, Claudio Gonzalez, D. Wayne Lukas, Shug McGaughey, Graham Motion, and Todd Pletcher.

To be eligible for the bonus, a trainer has to run five horses in designated stakes or starter races at Pimlico this weekend.

The purse breakdown of the bonus pool is $50,000 to the winner, $25,000 to second, $12,000 to third, $7,000 to fourth, $4,000 to fifth, and $2,000 to sixth.

The bonus will be distributed on a points system for finishing first (10 points), second (7), third (5), fourth (3), and starting a horse (1 point) in each race.

Last year, Pletcher earned the first-place award.