Saratoga purses boosted by incentive program

Purses at Saratoga Race Course climbed 18.4 percent from the incentive
program created by The New York Racing Association (NYRA) to increase field size
during the recently-concluded six-week meet. From the 365 races run at the meet,
76 (20.8 percent) qualified for purse hikes totaling $627,490, boosting original
purse values of $3,405,000 to $4,032,490.

The program employed several methods to increase purses based on the number
of horses starting in a race. Dirt races with more than eight betting interests
leaving the paddock received 10 or 15 percent purse hikes, based on the
conditions of the race. Races taken off the turf with eight or more betting
interests leaving the paddock were boosted 20 percent. “Per horse” increases
were also provided for dirt races at nine furlongs and longer (for each betting
interest above six) as well as turf races longer than nine furlongs (for each
betting interest above eight), with incremental values based on the class of the
race.

The incentives were particularly influential in preserving field size in
off-the-turf races. Of the 29 races taken off the turf during the meet, 13 (44.8
percent) were eligible for a 20 percent increase (for eight or more betting
interests remaining in the race) and, in many cases, the additional 10 or 15
percent dirt race bonus and the “per horse” increase for dirt races at nine
furlongs or longer. Original purses of $577,000 jumped $216,540 to final purse
values of $793,540, a 37.5 percent hike.

Following is a final tally of races which qualified under each incentive
condition: