Multiple April 15 stakes payments have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many April 15 payments are still in fact due, though. Trot Insider has gathered all of the reminders for the April 15 payments that are still due and has presented them here.
It is important to note that Woodbine Entertainment has made the decision to suspend the upcoming April 15, 2020 Standardbred stakes payments. The suspension of payments is for all Woodbine-administrated stakes events, which includes Flamboro Downs' Confederation Cup and Grand River Raceway's Battle of Waterloo and Battle of the Belles. For more information, click here.
The list of reminders for April 15 payments that are still in effect appears below (please note that the list only contains the reminders that have been sent to Standardbred Canada).
Multiple Important April 15 Stakes Payments Still Due
After careful and extensive consideration, the Hambletonian Society, in conjunction with the Meadowlands, the Red Mile, Little Brown Jug Society and other industry clients, partners and stakeholders, have concluded that the April 15 payment deadline for stakes and early-closers will remain intact.
All entities fully realize that all members of the racing community are in the midst of extremely difficult and unprecedented circumstances on a global level.
We are also aware that financial resources for many people will be stretched and staking horses is not going to be a priority.
The staking of horses has always represented a long term investment – from yearling payments to entrance fees, they accompany every horse through the span of the payments, enhance the value of every ‘staked’ horse, and the final number of paid-in (eligible) horses, along with added money from the stakes’ sponsor, determines the value of each stake race.
“The Hambletonian Society’s 95-year mission statement of promoting stakes event and the Standardbred breed means we remain committed to flexibility in scheduling, placing and moving races if necessary, in partnership with stake sponsors and host tracks,” said Hambletonian Society President John Campbell.
“We want all owners who have paid into races to stay in the event so they share in the accumulated value to date either by eventually racing or being refunded as the owner at time of cancellation.”
The racing conditions and payment schedule for each event that are printed and posted are a contract between the owners of each horse and the Stake Sponsor. To change this contract would alter this legal agreement and could be challenged in court as a breach of contract.
The Hambletonian Society would like to reinforce our policy that when any stakes or early-closer is cancelled (see below) any staking fee will be refunded to the owner of the horse at time of cancellation.
CANCELLATION: The Sponsor further reserves the right to cancel either or both of the races if for reasons beyond its control it becomes impractical or undesirable in the opinion of the Sponsor to conduct said race or races. If an event is not raced due to circumstances beyond its control, the Sponsor's responsibility and liability will be limited to refunding without interest: nomination, sustaining and entrance fees collected toward cancelled events that have not been disbursed at the time of cancellation. If canceled after the first two-year-old payment, these monies will be prorated among the owners of the horses eligible at the time of cancellation. If cancelled prior to the first two-year-old payment, the nomination fees will be refunded to the nominators.
Since 2009, the Hambletonian Society has successfully refunded to individual nominators and owners more than $700,000 in payments from cancelled races.
Most recently, the Art Rooney and Lismore were cancelled by Yonkers Raceway in late 2019, and all monies for two and three-year-olds eligible at time of cancellation were refunded to owners within 30 days of cancellation.
Stakes sponsors and host tracks have currently closed February payments for the stakes they service with that deadline, and are finalizing March 15 payments.
The racing season and stakes calendar is unknown at this time and it is possible that stakes may be cancelled and others moved and rescheduled (see below). Our conditions allow for and are clear that dates and venues may be changed.
Definite dates will be published in the USTA Stakes Guide in the year of the races. If for any reason it becomes impractical or undesirable, in the opinion of the Sponsor, to hold this race at the Track designated, the Sponsor reserves the right to change the date and/or the location of the Track for either any or all races.
As soon as racing does resume we all will make every effort to hold as many stakes and early-closers that we service as possible, and will be involved in rescheduling, moving races and setting up schedules that are in the best interests of everyone involved.
We realize that stakes payment decisions may be difficult and will be a hardship for many people, but we request that everyone be cognizant of our obligations.
*Accepting credit card payments for staking fees was instituted by the Hambletonian Society this year through a secure PNC bank platform. Should any race be cancelled, all collected payments, regardless of method, will be refunded in total, to the owner at time of cancellation.
(Hambletonian Society)
Meadowlands Payments Due April 15
The Meadowlands reminds those who have nominated horses to its Grand Circuit stakes that the next sustaining payment is due (postmarked by) April 15.
All pertinent information on our stakes including current lists of eligible horses through the March 15 payment and the upcoming sustaining payments may be accessed on The Meadowlands' website.
(Meadowlands)
Horsepeople should be reminded that the sustaining payment for the Artiscape, Crawford Farms, Joie De Vie and Roll With Joe stakes at Tioga Downs remains due (postmarked by) April 15.
Details are available here. Questions may be directed to 607-972-5500.
(Tioga Downs)
April 15 Stakes Payments Due In NJ
Don’t forget that the New Jersey Sire Stakes and Standardbred Development Fund sustaining payments are due on April 15.
The second sustaining payment for the SDF is $150 and for the NJSS is $500 for both two- and three-year-olds.
Sustaining forms can be found on the New Jersey Sire Stakes website.
(New Jersey Sire Stakes)
NYSS: Submit April 15 Payments Early
New York Sire Stakes participants are urged to consider submitting two- and three-year-old payments due on April 15 online due to the uncertain climate surrounding the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.
Business as usual continues at the NYSS office, but this request is being made so that we may continue to process your payments in a timely manner in the case of office closures or mail disruption in the future. Invoices for two- and three-year-olds were mailed on March 13. The payment deadline remains April 15.
You can submit online payments here.
If you decide to mail your payment, we strongly encourage utilizing certified mail to have documentation of on-time payment.
Yearling nomination payments are due on May 15. These payments cannot be made online and must be mailed. We encourage certified mail in this instance as well. Yearling nomination forms were mailed to mare owners on March 16. The nomination form is also available online here.
We are working hard to make sure our office is available and communicating with you at this time. The most reliable way to contact the New York Sire Stakes is to email [email protected].
We will continue to update all participants if circumstances require. If you do not already have an email address on file, please send that to us at the email above to ensure direct receipt. Thank you for your understanding.
(Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund)