Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association
Posted: March 28, 2018
Pending regulatory approval, the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey will offer a $5,000 bonus to the breeders of the top New Jersey-bred colt or gelding and filly or mare by points in the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships Series, which will return to the regional calendar this year.
The MATCH Series—25 stakes in five divisions—will run from May 18 through Sept. 16. Seven racetracks will participate including Monmouth Park, which will host seven of the 25 stakes.
The TBANJ Board of Trustees, which approved the $10,000 in bonuses, is awaiting approval from the New Jersey Racing Commission, which will next meet May 16.
An initial meeting last year to discuss the return of the MATCH Series involved representatives of breeders’ organizations from various states. Though groups expressed interest in the participating, it was decided to first focus on renewing the basic series and then hopefully add other components going forward.
Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association Chairman Alan Foreman, who founded the series in 1997, said he has reached out to breeders’ organizations to inquire about whether they plan to offer bonuses tied to the success of state-bred horses that compete in the MATCH Series.
Other states with MATCH Series races are Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Though there is no substantive Thoroughbred breeding in Delaware, it does have the successful Delaware Certified Thoroughbred Program, which offers purse bonuses at Delaware Park based on residency requirements.
Along with purse money, the MATCH Series offers $450,000 in bonuses for the leading owner and trainer in each division as well as the overall standings based on accumulated points. Each series stakes awards 10 points for first, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth, two for fifth and one for sixth through last place. Bonus points are awarded to horses that participate in four or more MATCH events in a division.
More information on the MATCH Series is available here.
(Monmouth Park photo by THA)