The Virginia Harness Horse Association's (VHHA) deadline to register stallions for the Virginia Sired Stakes 2025 breeding season is Dec 1.
Now three years old, the Sired Stakes initiative complements the VHHA's Breeder's Fund Race Program and Certified Residency Program, in an effort to keep Standardbred racing in the Commonwealth moving forward.
Sired Stakes races will be run at Shenandoah Downs based on age, sex and gait. Elimination races will feature a $6,000 USD purse and finals will go for $60,000 USD. Yearling payments of $25 USD per horse are due May 15 of its yearling year. Two and three-year-old sustaining payments of $100 USD per horse are due March 15 and May 15 each year. Declaration payments of $100 USD per horse are due when the horse is dropped in the box for an elimination race.
Sired foals are also eligible to compete in the Virginia Breeder's Fund races during the same years. Those races feature $8,000 USD eliminations and $80,000 USD finals. When combined, sired foals can race for $154,000 USD plus added money as freshmen and sophomores.
In addition, 15 per cent Sired Stakes bonus payments will be awarded to both the stallion owner and breeder based on purse amounts won from respective eliminations and finals. The first slate of Sired Stakes races will be contested at Shenandoah Downs next fall for two-year-olds, from the 2023 foal crop.
A complete list of stallions will be available after Dec. 1 at vhha.net. For details on bringing a stallion to Virginia or any of the incentive programs, contact Debbie Warnick at 443-463-0917.
(VHHA)