BREEDERS AWARDS PROGRAM

The Breeders Awards program provides rewards for each level of NYSS racing: Sire Stakes, Excelsior Series and County Fairs. Breeders of 2- and 3-year-old horses participating in a NYSS event in each NYSS racing season will be eligible to receive a residency-based award. Only breeders of horses finishing in positions 1 through 5 in the NYSS racing program will benefit from the Breeders Awards program. Payments to the breeder of each horse will be calculated based upon NYSS race event earnings each year.

ELIGIBILITY FOR BREEDERS AWARDS

It shall be the breeder’s responsibility to ensure accurate records are maintained and filed with the Fund for all broodmares. Mares must be bred in New York to a New York-registered stallion and be residents of the state for 180 consecutive days surrounding conception for the resulting progeny to be eligible to earn Breeders Awards. The recipient of any Breeders Award must be the owner of the mare at the time of mating as declared to the USTA. The racing horse must be nominated to the NYSS or be subsequently entered into Sire Stakes events in order for a Breeders Award to be paid.

Each year, mare owners are responsible for filing a “Residency Declaration/Arrival Form—Form A” when a mare enters the state, or at the beginning of the year if she is a year-round resident, and a “Mare Departure/180-Day Declaration of Residency Form—Form B” when the mare leaves the state, or at the end of the year if she is a year-round resident. All forms are due to the Fund within 30 days of the start and end of the residency period. Failure to do so may result in disqualification from the Breeders Award program.

PAYMENTS OF BREEDERS AWARDS

Breeders Awards will be based on NYSS race participation during the calendar year. At the end of the racing season total awards due each breeder will be calculated and paid as soon as practical. In the case of multiple breeders, the Fund will contact the first breeder listed on the horse’s USTA registration papers. Information required for tax purposes will be requested of all recipient breeders.

SPECIAL MARE SITUATIONS

Embryo Transfer Mares - Transferring Residency

Residency can begin on the date the donor mare enters the state and may be transferred to the recipient mare after a request in writing is submitted and approved by the Fund.  Approval will be based on verification that the New York residency period of the donor and recipient mare is overlapping such that the requirement of a contiguous 180 days of residency within New York State is met.  In addition, the following applies:

1. The embryo flush from the donor mare must occur in New York State.  Means of identifying the recipient mare must be provided to the Fund so inspection may be made.
2. All residency forms for the donor and recipient mare must be submitted as regularly required by the Fund, including arrival and departure forms for each mare.
3. Donor mare must be bred in New York State to a New York-registered stallion and follow all rules and conditions of eligibility.
    

Leave of Absense for Public Auction

An in-foal broodmare may, upon written request to the Fund and proof of consignment into a public auction, be granted permission for a “leave of absence” to leave the state for a bloodstock sale. If returned to the state in compliance with these leave of absence guidelines, she will be able to maintain her residency status for the year if all other residency requirements are met.

Once granted approval, the mare may leave New York up to five days before the commencement of the sale and stay for the duration of the sale, but must return to New York State within five days of the conclusion of the sale. All applicable forms for departure and arrival of the mare must be filed with the Fund.

NEW YORK STATE BONUS PAYMENT PROGRAM

Beginning in calendar year 2026, the Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund will provide an additional New York State Bonus Payment to eligible breeders, separate from the existing Breeders Awards program.

The bonus payment is intended to recognize and reward breeders who support and promote horse breeding exclusively within New York State.

ELIGIBILITY FOR NEW YORK STATE BONUS PAYMENTS

Eligibility requirements will be consistent with the existing Breeders Awards program guidelines, with one exception: foals resulting from mares inseminated with semen transported outside of New York State will not be eligible for the New York State Bonus Payment.

All other Breeders Awards eligibility requirements, including mare residency, NYSS race participation, and qualifying finishes, will apply.

PAYMENTS OF NEW YORK STATE BONUSES

Bonus payments will be determined based on eligible NYSS race earnings during the calendar year and distributed following the conclusion of the racing season.

No additional applications or forms are required. Eligibility will be determined using existing program records, including submitted Mare Bred and Mare Residency forms. Payments will be issued automatically to qualifying breeders.

What is the NYSS Breeders Awards Program?

The Breeders Awards Program is an incentive to promote agriculture through the breeding of Standardbred horses in New York State. The Breeders Awards will be given at all levels of the New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) Racing Program. Breeders Awards reward breeders who keep their mares in New York State, thereby contributing to the New York State economy and agricultural market. The program is designed to stimulate New York State’s agriculture sector and preserve open space through populating the state’s many horse farms.

Who is eligible to receive a Breeders Award?

Eligible recipients of a Breeders Award are individuals or entities who have bred a mare who resided in New York State for at least 180 consecutive days during the breeding year and whose progeny race in at least one New York Sire Stakes program event as a 2- or 3-year-old and finish in positions one through five. The 180-day period must be met within the calendar year and be inclusive of conception. In cases of multiple breeders, only one breeder will be the recipient of the award; the first breeder of record on the horses’ USTA registration will be the initial contact.

Do I have to fill out a special form to be eligible for a Breeders Award?

If you wish to be eligible for a Breeders’ Award, you will be required to fill out a “Residency Declaration/Arrival Form—Form A” and a “Mare Departure/180-Day Declaration of Residency Form—Form B” to certify your mare was a New York State resident for 180 continuous days during the current breeding year. Additionally, if your mare must leave the state for an emergency or if you transfer it to a different facility within New York State, you must fill out and submit the appropriate forms. These forms are available for download on the Fund’s website in the “Forms and Downloads” section.

Mare owners wishing to receive special permissions from the Fund under the provisions for embryo transfer or leave of absence for public auction should contact the Fund as soon as plans for an embryo transfer are made or upon consignment into a public auction, respectively.  The mare owner is responsible for getting approval from the Fund before proceeding and submitting forms each time a mare enters and leaves the state.

Is there a timeframe for when the forms are due to the Fund?

Yes, the 180-day residency forms must be filled out completely and accurately and within a specific timeframe; failure to do so may result in automatic disqualification from the program.

The Residency Declaration/Arrival Form—Form A must be mailed or faxed to the Fund with a postmark or fax date within 30 days of arrival. The Mare Departure/180-Day Declaration of Residency Form—Form B must be mailed or faxed to the Fund with a postmark within 30 days of departure. These forms cannot be postdated. If the mare is in the state for more than 180 days, her paperwork should reflect the actual dates of her residency, not just the required number of days. The Resident Broodmare Emergency Leave Form and the Resident Broodmare Emergency Notice of Return Form must be mailed or faxed to the Fund within three days of an emergency leave and return.

I am a New York State resident and my mares are in New York year-round. Is there anything I must do to be eligible for a Breeders Award?

Yes, you must file, annually, with the Fund the Residency Declaration/Arrival Form—Form A when you wish your 180-day residency period to begin. You must also fill out the Mare Departure/180- Day Declaration of Residency Form—Form B to certify that your mare was a resident in New York State for the continuous 180-day period, even if she is in New York year-round. All forms are due to the Fund within 30 days of the start and end of the residency period. Failure to do so may result in disqualification from the Breeders Award program.