Canterbury Announces Pre-Paid Trainer Incentive Program

Seeking to rebound from a 2023 season that saw diminished field size and handle, Canterbury Park announced Feb. 14 a pre-paid starter incentive program to entice trainers to race at the Shakopee, Minn. track during its 54-day summer meet.

Incentive amounts for designated horses are determined by the location from which the trainer ships to Canterbury. Open-bred horses arriving from the furthest points of origin would be eligible for $1,500, while Minnesota-breds would be eligible for $750. For each start made, 25% of the incentive is earned, and up to 100% is earned for the fourth start. If a designated horse starts fewer than four times, the unearned portion of the pre-paid incentive must be repaid to Canterbury Park.  According to Canterbury, the incentives for a trainer can be worth as much as $37,500.

The funds would be paid upon arrival at Canterbury to approved trainers that have submitted a list of horses intended to start in Thoroughbred races during the meet which runs May 18 through Sept. 28. 

The incentives differ from past ones offered by the Canterbury track, which were owner-based and incentivized running horses early in Canterbury's season. While those incentives came from the purse account, the trainer starter incentive program is funded by track, officials said. The owner-based program is no longer in place, with those funds remaining to go directly toward purses.

"Owner/trainer relationships are unique, but I feel like owners don't always tell the trainers where to go," racing operations manager Amber Carlisle said. "So if we can convince the trainers to come here, the owners will follow suit."

According to the incentive rules, trainers can submit a designated horse list with up to 20 open-bred horses and 10 Minnesota-breds that are 3 years old or older. 2-year-olds are not eligible for the incentive program.

Canterbury's stall allocation committee will review the list and authorize a pre-paid incentive amount per trainer. That amount will be paid to the trainer when the designated horses are on the grounds, which is to come no later than June 1.

Canterbury officials worked with the Minnesota Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association to develop the incentive plan, with the horsemen group asking how a claim of a horse might affect a trainer's pre-paid incentive toward the horse's four starts for payment of a full incentive.  

"So we do have a caveat in the case that horses are claimed or injured or put on the vet's list or removed from the owner's care," Carlisle said. "We are giving trainers the ability to substitute horses."

Reaction to the new incentives on social media was mixed, 

"We have a wonderful facility in which we continue to invest and are proud of our history and confident in our future," general manager John Groen said. "Trainers new to Canterbury will find a wide array of conditions and distances on both turf and dirt. They also will discover that we have a welcoming backstretch and a surrounding community that embraces horse racing."

The Pre-Paid Starter Incentive application should be submitted with stall applications. Find incentive plan fact sheet, application and stall application using this link.

More information also available at www.canterburypark.com.