Santa Anita offers bonus to attract out-of-state horses

With its traditional Winter/Spring Meeting set to begin Saturday, Dec. 26, Santa Anita Park will offer a lucrative Sunshine Bonus to attract out-of-state horses to the meet, which concludes on June 20.

“Along with the 10 percent raise in our average daily purse distribution, which now totals $533,000, we’re hopeful this new Sunshine Bonus program will help to attract horses that have not run in California over the past 12 months,” said Chris Merz, Santa Anita’s director of racing. “With a guaranteed bonus of $3,000 to be paid to the owners of any eligible horse making their first start here, excluding stakes races and first-time starters, this is a very significant enticement to train and race at what we believe is a magnificent year-round facility.”

In addition to the initial $3,000 starter’s bonus, Merz said sizable bonuses will be paid to those same horses predicated upon where they finish in their Santa Anita debuts.

“Excluding stakes and first-time starters, the Sunshine Bonus will also offer a 35 percent bonus to the owners of those horses finishing first through fifth in their first starts here. So for instance, if a horse ships in and wins a $61,000 maiden special weight race, the owner will not only receive the standard winner’s share of $36,600, he’ll get the first time Santa Anita starter bonus of $3,000 as well as the 35 percent bonus of $12,810.

“This adds up to total money won of $52,410 in a $61,000 race. The numbers speak for themselves and we’re hoping horsemen nationwide will take this into account when they consider sending horses here this winter and spring.”