California Sire Stakes Horse Run
for $100,000 Bonus
Wednesday,
April 26, 2006 - from David Siegel,
CHHA Director
The California Harness
Horsemen’s Association (CHHA) and the California
Standardbred Sires Stakes Committee (CSSSC) along with the
Sacramento Harness Association (SHA) have announced a bonus
program worth up to $100,000.
Beginning with the 2006 two-year old crop of trotters and
pacers, horses that sweep the two-year old championship
race, the spring three-year old championship race and the
fall three-year old championship race, will share in the
$100,000 bonus.
SSC Chairman Steve Chambers explained the program further.
“The last races of each season’s divisions will be the
championship race, which alone goes for an augmented purse.
Our new program will make the four two-year old champions
(filly trot, filly pace, colt trot and colt pace) in this
inaugural year eligible for the bonus payment. If one of
these four winners wins their next two championships
(three-year old spring and fall), they will win the $100,000
bonus. If, in the extreme unlikely case, two happen two win
all three championships, then they each win a $50,000
bonus.”
CHHA President Ben Kenney commented, “Our Cal-Sired program
has been improved immensely over this past year. Our purses
are higher and we anticipate them growing further. Now, with
addition of this championship sweep bonus, our in-state
breeders have an even brighter future. A horse that has won
the first two “legs” of the bonus, will be running for the
winners share of the roughly $30,000 purse, plus the
$100,000 bonus in the fall of their three-year old campaign.
That is the equivalent of a $230,000 purse race, which we
have never had in Northern California and none in the state
since 2000.”
SHA General Manager Chris Schick gave the CHHA high praise
for the direction of the Sires Stakes program. “This year
really has been a milestone for our management team working
hand-in-hand with the horsemen. The Sire Stakes Committee
has helped the entire industry by offering enhancements to
the program to increase the number of Cal-Sired horses.
This, in-turn, will help build our overnight program three
and four years down the road, which, in-turn, allows the SHA
to offer a bigger and better racing program for our fans in
California and around the county. Finally, the bonus program
is something that can help us attract new owners as the
excitement of six-figure purses finally returns to the
racing scene in the Golden State.”
