Lexington, KY—The American Saddlebred Registry (ASR) Sweepstakes nominations made significant leaps forward at the 2008 closing on February 11. Both the Three-Year-Old and the Four-Year-Old Sweepstakes experienced a hike in numbers.

In the Four-Year-Old Sweepstakes, 100 four-year-olds of 2008 remain eligible at the February closing, up 31.58% from last year. Likewise, the three-year-old nominations increased 16.67%, to 182 horses.

In the Three-Year-Old Sweepstakes, most notable when compared to 2007 was the rise in the yearling nominations. From 2007 to 2008 the yearling nominations grew by 8.99% to 303 yearlings of 2008.

Beginning this year, Kentucky-bred American Saddlebreds nominated to compete in the ASR Four-Year-Old Sweepstakes events (horses must be nominated as three-year-olds) will receive payouts from the Breeders Incentive Fund as added prize money based on the highest-placed eligible Kentucky-breds in each division. The ASR Four-Year-Old Sweepstakes events held annually are in the five-gaited, three-gaited, fine harness and park pleasure divisions. The available Incentive Funds will be divided equally between the divisions. Of the money in each division, 70% will be awarded to the breeder and 30% will be awarded to the stallion owner. Approximately $160,000 in Kentucky Breeders Incentive prize money is on offer in the 2008 Four-Year-Old Sweepstakes.

Eligibility for the added prize money is based on the Kentucky-bred criteria, which are as follows: a horse registered by the American Saddlebred Registry, foaled in Kentucky, sired by a stallion standing in Kentucky at the time of service and bred by a resident of Kentucky (breeder is designated per ASR rules).
The ASR Sweepstakes classes are for two-, three- and four-year-olds in the five-gaited, three-gaited, fine harness and park pleasure divisions. The program is designed to perpetuate the breeding, training and showing of American Saddlebreds.
Of the $4 million the ASR Sweepstakes has awarded since 1984, 19% of it—more than a quarter of a million dollars—has been awarded over the last five years.

General rules and information on the sweepstakes, including registration forms are available at www.saddlebred.com/prize-sweepstakes or by contacting Patricia Edwards at (859) 259-2742, ext. 320.