Del Mar will offer its richest “Ship and Win” bonus when the program, designed to encourage out-of-state horses to compete in California, returns for its 12th year at the oceanside oval's summer meeting. This year's program offers a $5,000 starter bonus and a 50% purse supplement for any dirt runner. Turf horses earn a $4,000 starter fee and a 40% purse bonus.
The purse bonuses extend to additional starts at the summer meet and are designed to increase all purses won by first through fifth finishers. Further, should a 'S & W' horse be claimed out of its first outing and subsequently run back at the meet, the original owner will receive all bonuses.
“This has proven to be an exceptional program for Del Mar and California racing,” said David Jerkens, a Del Mar vice president and its racing secretary. “We strengthen our fields each summer with “Ship & Win” horses and the majority of them stay on and race in the state. Our local owners and trainers bring us the bulk of these out-of-state runners and our partnership with Santa Anita on this has worked very well.”
Thoroughbred Owners of California Chairman Gary Fenton added, “This has been an across the board winner for California. My two favorite aspects are always that a) our owners are the biggest recipients of the bonus and b) there is a benefit to the entire ecosystem as up to 10% of Santa Anita's field size is made up of 'Ship & Win' graduates. There isn't a more lucrative way to bring horses to California.”
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