Questions and Answers

What is the Fund's function?
How does the Fund obtain revenue?
I just purchased a mare – what do I need to do to participate in the Program?
How do I register my farm?
Do I have to own a farm in order to participate?
Do I have to call the Jockey Club?
What are movement cards and how do I receive them?
What are the requirements for obtaining New York-bred status?
How do I register my foal as a New York-bred?
How will I know when the New York-bred eligibility process is completed?
Can I fill out the registration papers before I receive my foal's Jockey Club papers?
How much does it cost to register a foal?
What are the advantages of registering my horse if I do not plan to race it?
As a breeder, if I sell my horse can it still be registered?
Can I sign my spouse's name on the registration form?
Who will receive the award monies?
When do I receive my awards checks?
Why don't I receive owner awards for restricted races?
How do I register a stallion in New York?
Do I have to register my stallion every year?
How do I nominate my NY-bred for the NY Stallion Stakes series?

What is the Fund's function?
The Fund promotes thoroughbred breeding and racing in New York State. In order to accomplish its mission, the Fund distributes owner, breeder and stallion-owner awards, in addition to purse incentives via the New York Racing Association and Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack Association. In 2009, combined purses, awards and incentives totaled over $82 million.

How does the Fund obtain revenue?
The Fund derives revenue from a small percentage of every dollar bet on thoroughbred racing in New York State, both on and off-track, and also from a percentage of the breakage. The Fund also obtains revenue from a small percentage of the Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) monies from Finger Lakes Race Track. In the future, we will also receive revenue from VLT monies at NYRA tracks.

I just purchased a mare – what do I need to do to participate in the Program?
Your horse's registration status can be checked on our website at www.nybredfund.com. Just click "Registry" at the top of our homepage, followed by "Registration Status," then enter your horse's name or the foaling year and dam's name. You can also contact our Saratoga office at (518) 580-0100 or via e-mail for information on registration status.

How do I register my farm?
The Fund doesn't directly register farms, but your notification should be sent to the Fund offices. Either e-mail us or contact the Saratoga office at (518) 580-0100. We will arrange for one of our field inspectors to visit your farm when he is in the area. Please provide us with your contact information in your e-mail. Another option is to fill out the Information Request Form.

Do I have to own a farm in order to participate?
No – there are many qualified farms in New York State that specialize in the boarding of broodmares. We suggest contacting the farms listed at www.nybreds.com.

Do I have to call the Jockey Club?
We recommend that you contact the Jockey Club soon after any change in ownership. For further information, visit the Jockey Club's website at www.jockeyclub.com or contact them at 1-800-444-8521.

What are movement cards and how do I receive them?
Movement cards are required for mares moving into or out of New York State in order to assist the inspection team and facilitate the foal registration process. Cards can be filled out in our Fastrack Forms section or sent in by postcard. To request postcards, e-mail the Fund.

What are the requirements for obtaining New York-bred status?
The rules are simple, and effectively create two categories of mares – resident and non-resident. To qualify for registration as a New York-bred, the mare must FOAL in New York State and meet the following domicile requirements.

How do I register my foal as a New York-bred?
Fill out the proper form for the year of foaling. These forms are provided by the Fund or, in some cases, by the foaling farm. The easiest method is to fill out the application in our Fastrack Forms section and pay by Visa or MasterCard. If you prefer, you can download the application in the same section. You can also fill out the Information Request Form, contact the Fund office at (518) 580-0100, or e-mail us your request along with your mailing address.

How will I know when the New York-bred eligibility process is completed?
There is no need to send Jockey Club registration papers to the Fund office. The Fund no longer provides written acknowledgements of completion of the registration process, but you can always use the Registration Status page of our website to confirm your horse's status.

Can I fill out the registration papers before I receive my foal's Jockey Club papers?
Yes – the foal application can be submitted as soon as a foal is born. However, final processing for New York-bred status is predicated on the issuing of Jockey Club papers, which the Fund is made aware of through automatic bi-weekly notifications.

How much does it cost to register a foal?
The rate varies depending on the age of the foal. If applied for by December 31st in the year of the foal's birth, the fee is $75. After the universal equine birthday of January 1st, the foal is considered a yearling and the fee is $150. The fee for registration of a two-year-old is $250, and the fee for registration of three-year-olds and up is $500.

What are the advantages of registering my horse if I do not plan to race it?
If you ultimately choose to sell a horse, it will be to your advantage to register it as a weanling for the nominal fee of $75. As a rule, a horse is more attractive to prospective buyers if it is a registered New York-bred.

As a breeder, if I sell my horse can it still be registered?
Yes – applications can be submitted at any time. However, as previously noted, the fee changes as the foal ages. To avoid extra expense and problems associated with tracking down veterinarians and farm managers for their signatures, it behooves you to act sooner rather than later.

Can I sign my spouse's name on the registration form?
No – only the breeder of record may sign the form. It should also be noted that a husband/wife cannot be the farm manager of record if his/her wife/husband is the breeder of a foal. Two of the following three people must sign an application: the breeder, the farm manager, and/or the attending veterinarian.

I purchased a horse privately or at an auction – how do I know if it is eligible to be a registered New York-bred?
The easiest way is to go to the Registration Status page to verify whether the horse has already been registered. In the event that the horse is not named or the name of the horse has been changed, enter the mare's name and the foal's year of birth in the designated locations. Another option is to e-mail us. We suggest checking the status of any horse prior to purchase.

Who will receive the award monies?
The award monies are disbursed to the breeder of record, to the owner, and to the owner of the horse's sire if the sire was a registered New York-based stallion at the time of conception. A W-9 form will be sent a few weeks before checks are issued, and it MUST be signed and returned to the Fund office before any checks are mailed out. See the Incentives page of our Awards Program section for more information on awards.

When do I receive my awards checks?
Awards checks are issued six times per year – five weeks after the end of each two-month period (e.g., the check for awards earned in January and February would go out in the first week of April).

Why don't I receive owner awards for restricted races?
Owner's awards are only earned for open-company races with a minimum claiming price of $30,000.

How do I register a stallion in New York?
A stallion residing in New York State can be registered at a cost of $250 per year by filling out the necessary forms and completing the annual EVA requirements. To be eligible for registration, a stallion must be owned by or leased to a New York resident for a minimum of two years.  Applications are available in our Fastrack Forms section, as is the EVA form, which can be downloaded and faxed or mailed to our Saratoga office. Our fax number is (518) 580-0500. For further information, e-mail us, call us at (518) 580-0100, or fill out the Information Request Form.

Do I have to register my stallion every year?
Yes – in order for an owner to qualify for stallion owner's awards, the stallion must be registered. In addition, New York-breds sired by a registered New York-based stallion receive higher awards. See the Incentives page of our Awards Program section for more detailed information on award percentages.

How do I nominate my NY-bred for the NY Stallion Stakes series?
Nominations for these restricted stakes are handled by the racing secretary offices at either the NYRA tracks or Finger Lakes. The NYRA phone number is (718) 641-4700. A $25 nomination fee for these two-year-old stakes races held at Finger Lakes can be included with foal applications submitted during the foaling year. The three stakes are the New York Breeders' Futurity, the Aspirant, and the Lady Finger. In the event that a foal hasn't been nominated to the series during its foaling year, Finger Lakes will mail out a nomination form at the beginning of the horse's two-year-old season. For further information, contact the Finger Lakes Gaming and Racing Association at (585) 924-3232.

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