'Ship and Win' Program Expands in SoCal

An incentive program to attract out-of-state horses to race in California that has had success over the past four seasons at Del Mar will expand to the entire Southern California racing circuit April 2.



The "Ship and Win" program will apply to horses that have not raced in the past 12 months in California. At Santa Anita Park, Los Alamitos Race Course, and Del Mar, the program will guarantee a $1,000 appearance fee and a 30% enhancement to all purse money earned in the horse's initial start in the state.



Funding for the program will come from the three Southern California racetracks, the Thoroughbred Owners of California, and the California Marketing Committee, which is tasked with promoting racing in the state.



"Horse recruitment and increasing field size are top priorities for TOC," TOC president Joe Morris said. "We supported the 'Ship and Win' program at Del Mar for the last four years and believe it will be equally successful as a year-round program for Southern California."



The region's weather, year-round racing in a relatively compact area, the attractive venues, and fan base are the selling points to out-of-state horsemen. Top riders and lucrative purse offerings add luster to the formula.



"It's been a very good program for my owners and my horses," said trainer Mark Casse, who brought in a large string of runners to Del Mar for the first time last summer. "It's a major expense to ship out there, so the bonus monies certainly helped. And now that we've seen that we can come and compete well, we'll be bringing out more horses this year, including some of our better 2-year-olds.



"Several of my owners have never raced in the West, with the exception of the Breeders' Cup, so this has opened a door for them to try California."



Casse started 38 horses during his first season at Del Mar's summer meet, and won five races and more than $600,000 in purses. He had 13 "Ship and Win" horses, who made 25 starts and registered two wins, seven seconds, and five thirds.



The program, however, is not only for out-of-state horsemen. Local trainers and owners have also tapped into the benefits by bringing back runners from beyond California's borders.



Trainer Bob Hess Jr. had 16 "Ship and Win" horses in his barn in 2014 and they accounted for six victories, two seconds, and a third.



"We have the best stage in the country for presenting horse racing, but we need to get people aware and involved in being part of it," Hess said. "A program like this one is part of the puzzle, part of how we actually get people to realize how good it is to race in California."



Santa Anita will kick off the "Ship and Win" program April 2 and offer it through June 28. Los Alamitos picks it up from July 2 to July 12. Del Mar's summer season then covers July 16 through Sept. 7. Each of the tracks also finishes the year with additional meets in the fall.



Further information about "Ship and Win" can be found on Calracing.com.