KY cup purse distribution

[shanahan]

From the DRF:

The total purse for the KC Classic was $402,500, with Hard Spun earning $130,000 from the base purse and another $150,000 in a special bonus offering for any starter that had won a Grade 1 race in 2006 or 2007.


what gives here?  doesn\'t the winner get 60% of the purse in all races?  If this is true, the other 3 horses divvy up $272K?

[richiebee]

Shanno:

Anybody think of bringing the Golden Boy, Paul Hornung, back?

Sorry I couldn\'t resist.

Bonus money has been around for a while. Here it was incorporated into the purse
structure, in other instances the bonus money arrangement is cut in a back room
where an owner or trainer will be paid what amounts to \"appearance\" money. To
be cynical one advantage of making a back door deal directly with the owner is
that the owner might be able to keep trainer and jockey from finding out about
the arrangement and keeping the entire kit and kaboodle.

If I remember correctly,this issue was most prominent after Spend A Buck won
the Kentucky Derby. As I recall, Spend A Buck passed on the Preakness Stakes so
that he might run in Garden State Park\'s big stake for 3YOs (Jersey Derby?).
The reason: Garden State\'s owner, Robert Brennan, put up a huge bonus for a colt
who won the Ky Derby and the Jersey Derby.

I think an incentive structure such as this, if the bonus is big enough, might
be a way to keep horses in training longer (ie enhanced purse for an animal 4&
up who won a graded stake at 2 or 3).

[Sandreadis]

Shanny, Take the bonus $ out of the equation for a second. The race was $350,000 which included $150,00 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund awarded to ONLY KY. breds. He got his 65%  from the base purse of $200,000.HS is a PA bred.