The Cup

Breeder Incentives

Breeders Win Money! Nominate now.

• Nominate Your Foal

**Nominate foals by December 31. Late fees may apply.**

Rewarding the Breeders

As part of the Arabian Racing Cup's mission statement, the Cup is dedicated to the national and international promotion of BREEDING and racing purebred Arabian horses. The Cup Races achieve both goals, and the Cup's breeder incentive initiative is the only national program that pays back specifically to the breeders of Arabian race horses.

A FULLY NOMINATED FOAL IS ELIGIBLE TO EARN BREEDERS’ INCENTIVE REWARDS FOR THE BREEDER OF RECORD IN ANY CUP-DESIGNATED BREEDERS’ INCENTIVE REWARD RACES HELD IN THE UNITED STATES THROUGHOUT ITS RACING CAREER.

Each year, the Arabian Racing Cup determines which races will be designated Breeders’ Incentive Reward races. The Reward funds are dispersed on a percentage basis to the Breeder of Record of any fully nominated horses finishing first, second or third in these races. This money is paid out directly by the Arabian Racing Cup and is not part of the purse. Any money not paid out is returned to the fund to be eligible for future races. The program is designed so that monies paid in are distributed, but not in excess of funds collected ~ a safe, fair, and fun way for all breeders to participate and enjoy Incentive Rewards for years to come.

In 2017 and 2018, a dozen Incentive races were held across the country both years, with $500 awarded to the breeder of the first, second, and third place horses in each race. The types of races with extra reward money included Maiden Races, Allowance and Stakes, with a total of $30,000 distributed to the breeders.

See our race pages for the results and all recipients of breeder incentive money from the Arabian Racing Cup.

• Nominate Your Foal

ARC Breeders Incentive Program Transition
Out of Pre-Program Into Full Program in 2020

The Arabian Racing Cup (ARC) is a nationally-chartered organization whose
primary mission is to support breeders of Arabian racehorses in the United States.
“If we don’t have breeders,” said Michelle Morgan, former ARC Chief Steward, “then we don’t have a racing industry.”

This was the motivation for launching the ARC Breeders Incentive Program that financially rewards breeders of Arabian racehorses that run in races designated as eligible for these incentive funds.

Launched in 2016, the program is designed to pay back breeders of the top placings in ARC Breeders Incentive program designated races if the horse(s) was nominated into the program before the age of three. Once nominated, the horse is eligible for these funds for life, regardless of ownership transfers, as long as the horse remains in the United States, thereby creating an ongoing incentive specifically benefitting its breeder for the horse’s lifetime.

Nomination requirements for eligible horses are as follows:

• $500 Nomination Fee must be paid in full before December 31st of its two-year-old year. (May be paid in three installments: $50 as a weanling; $200 as a yearling; $250 as a two-year-old for maximum ease on the breeder.)

The ARC earmarks a set amount at the beginning of each calendar year, historically between $18,000 and $20,000. These funds are divided equally among the state affiliate organizations, who in turn choose four races – conditions ranging from maiden, non-winners of 2 or 3, claiming or allowance – to designate these funds toward.

It is important to note, however, that when the program was launched in 2016, the ARC decided not to enforce this nomination process for the first few years, and instead pay out the full amount to the breeders of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd horses, regardless of their nomination process.

“We made this decision for two primary reasons,” said Morgan. “First, we wanted to make the program active immediately, rather than stall it until the first nominated horses became of racing age. And second, we wanted to offer this as a way to widely publicize and educate on the program in its first few years of existence.”

For example, in 2017, each of the ARC Incentive Program races that went off were designated $1,500 in breeders incentive funds, and the breeder of each of the top three placing horses were mailed a check for $500 within the following week – regardless of whether or not the horses were nominated in the program.

The program continued in this way through 2019, rewarding all breeders regardless of the runner’s nomination status.

However, in 2020, the program nomination requirement was placed in full effect, requiring that horses running in ARC Breeders Incentive Program races are fully nominated before their three-year-old year in order to receive these funds for the remainder of their lifetime.

Why is this timely now?

Arabian horses that are being pointed to the track must be FULLY NOMINATED to be eligible to receive rewards. They must be nominated before they turn three (before December 31st of their two-year-old year specifically) in order for the breeders to remain eligible for program funding.

And while breeders are welcome to pay the full $500 nomination fee at once, they may also pay it incrementally beginning as a weanling as part of the program’s installment route.

“We decided to offer the option of installment payments so that the breeder was not forced to pay the full amount up front and risk the horse getting hurt or never making it to the track after the full amount was paid,” said Morgan. “It was our goal to make it as easy on the breeder as possible, while then providing them the opportunity to make it back all at once with either a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place finish. Anything else earned after that first payout during the horse’s lifetime would be gravy.”

Each Spring the ARC Board of Stewards sit down and decide how much will be earmarked that year for the ARC Breeders Incentive Program. A total of $18,000 is earmarked for paying out this year to the three state affiliates (California, Delaware and Texas) over four races each ($1,500 per race, paying $500 to the breeders of the top three horses).

“We want to be able to grow the program into more than four races per state eventually,” said Morgan, “which is why we were are staying around the $18,000/year mark until the full program was launched in 2020.”

• Nominate Your Foal