Table of Contents Letter 1 Zweig Equine Research 39 Trustees 2 Breeders Award Intro 40 Year in Review 3 Breeders Statistics 41 Industry Comments 5 Breeders Awards 42 Financials/Accounting Leaderboard Standings 49 Dispersal of Fund Money 7 New York Sire Stakes 50 Cash Flow 10 Excelsior 54 Net Assets 11 County Fair 56 Statement Revenue, Expense 12 Yearling Sales Reports 58 Track Purses Paid 13 Goshen 59 Economic Impact 14 Harrisburg 62 State By State Comparison 16 Lexington 68 4-H Education 17 Morrisville 74 Racing Under Saddle 23 Stallions 77 Scholarship Races 24 New York Stallion Rankings 78 Advertising and Promotion 25 Leading Sire of 3-Year-Olds 79 Harness Horse Youth Foundation 27 Leading Sire of 2-Year-Olds 80 New Owner Seminar 29 National Stallion Rankings 81 Goshen Museum Grant Funding 31 Goshen Historic Track 91 Ag Calendar 33 New York State Fair-Equine Tent 34 Front Cover Photo: Kathy Jones Cameo Farm Tour 38 Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund 1 Broadway Center, 6th Floor, Schenectady NY 12305 518-388-0178(p) 518-347-1483(f) [email protected] www.nysirestakes.com [email protected] Introduction The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo Governor of the State of New York Members of the New York State Legislature The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York MembersOn behalf of ofthe the New trustees York State of the Legislature Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund, I am pleased to present the Fund’s 2016 Annual Report. On behalf of the trustees of the Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund, I am pleasedNew York to present ranks among the Fund’s the nation’s2016 Annual largest Report. farming states with agriculture being one of our state’s leading domestic economic sectors. The Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund Newadministers York ranks the among New theYork nation’s Sire Stakes, largest the farming nation’s states oldest with harness agriculture racing being program one ofof itsour kind. state’s The Fund’s leadingprimary domestic mission economic is to promote sectors. and The preserve Agriculture agriculture & New through York State the Horsepromotion Breeding of horse Development breeding and the Fundconduct administers of equine the research New York in Sire New Stakes, York State. the nation’s oldest harness racing program of its kind. The Fund’s primary mission is to promote and preserve agriculture through the promotion of horse breeding andThe the international conduct of equinedemand research for New in York-bred New York Standardbred State. horses continues as proof of New York State’s unparalleled breeding industry. The many racing opportunities and the quality of horses bred in New York The international demand for New York-bred Standardbred horses continues as proof of New York drives the demand for New York-bred yearlings at the sales. New York bred horses continue to excel on State’s unparalleled breeding industry. The many racing opportunities and the quality of horses bred in the national scene with Walner setting a World Record as a 2-Year Old Trotting Colt. In fact, Walner was Newso impressiveYork drives inthe his demand freshmen for campaignNew York -thatbred he yearlings was voted at the 2-Year-Old sales. New Trotting York bredColt ofhor theses Year continue in Norths to America.excel on theHe earnednational $484,037 scene with and Walner is considered setting athe World early Record favorite as fora 2 -theYear $1 Old million Trotting Hambletonian Colt. In fact, for Walner3-Year-Olds was so in impressive 2017, the in most his freshmen prestigious camp trottingaign thatevent he in was the voted world. 2-Year-Old Trotting Colt of the Year in North America. He earned $484,037 and is considered the early favorite for the $1 million HambletonianOther top NY-Bred for 3-Year horses-Olds include in 2017, Racing the most Hill prestigious, the winner trotting of a Breeders’ event in theCrown world Championship,. the OtherMessenger top NY- StakesBred horses and the include Adios; Racing Pace with Hill, totalthe winner earnings of ain Breeders’excess of Crown $1.7 million Championship, and Non t heStick , the Messengerwinner of Stakes the Empire and the Breeders Adios Pace Classic with and total the earnings New York in Sireexcess Stakes of $1.7 Final million with earnings and Non of Stick $549,235., the winner of the Empire Breeders Classic and the New York Sire Stakes Final with earnings of $549,235. New York stallions remained among the leading national earners and most sought after by breeders. This Newis evidenced York stallions by the remained strong amongprices at the the leading Lexington, national KY saleearners with and NY-bred most soughtyearlings after averaging by breeders. $45,945. New ThisYork is evidencedStallions consistently by the strong sit prices at or nearat the the Lexington, top of the KY National sale with Stallion NY-bred Standings, yearlings withaveraging three of them listed $45,in 945the .top New six York national Stallions sires consistently in 2016, based sit at on or averagenear the earningstop of the per National foal. Stallion Standings, with three of them listed in the top six national sires in 2016, based on average earnings per foal. As the demand and quality of New York-bred horses continues, so will the economic and agricultural Asbenefits the demand that and the qualitystandardbred of New breedingYork-bred and horses racing continues, industry soprovides will the to economic the State and of agriculturalNew York. The benefitsAgriculture that the & NYS Standardbred Horse Breeding breeding Development and racing Fund industry will providescontinue to to the promote State ofand New support York. thisThe progress. Agriculture & NYS Horse Development Fund will continue to promote and support this progress. Respectfully submitted, Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund 1 Broadway Center, 6th Floor, Schenectady, NY 12305 518-388-0178 Fax: 518-347-1483 Agriculture & New York Statewww.nysirestakes.com Horse Breeding Development Fund 1 Broadway Center, 6th Floor, Schenectady, NY 12305 518-388-0178 Fax: 518-347-1483 www.nysirestakes.com 1 The New York Sire Stakes Are Administered By Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund Richard A. Ball Commissioner of the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets and Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund Trustee Michael Kimelman Peter Arrigenna Agriculture and New York State Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund Trustee Horse Breeding Development Fund Trustee Ronald Ochrym Brian Squadere Acting Executive Director Comptroller Mark Stuart Connie Richardson Counsel Executive Assistant The Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund (the Fund) is a public benefit corporation established in 1965 by the Laverne Law (Laws of New York, Chapter 567 of the Laws of 1965). The mission of the Fund is to promote agriculture through the breeding of standardbred horses and the conduct of equine research within the State. To carry out its legislative mission, the Fund administers the New York Sire Stakes races, Excelsior/State Fair Series races, and County Fair Races. Additionally, the Fund provides assistance to county agriculture societies and contributes to the statewide 4-H program and to the Harry M. Zweig Fund for Equine Research. 2 Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund 2016 was another big year for harness racing in the Rounding out the top five are Demeter, Lazzaro state of New York. With the largest purse structure Year In Review and Taylor at $314,182, Brenner, Crawford, Daley on a nightly basis in North America, a flourishing 2016 another big year and Lombardo at $304,447 with the Purple Haze Sire Stakes program and its accompanying fair Stable fifth with earnings of $296,543. circuit, New York's future is bright indeed going for New York State forward into 2017 and beyond. Harness Racing Winbak Farms led the way for all Breeders in 2016 tipping past the $1 million mark Leading the way in the driver department was By Robert Hayden ($1,009,231). That was more than the next perennial leader Jim Morrill, Jr. His $1,648,505 was more than two combined, David Firmstone $480,671 and Diamond Creek double that of Matt Kakaley, his closest rival who finished with $462,606. Finishing out the top five are Hanover Shoe Farms, Inc., $793,385, and Mark MacDonald, who finished third at $609,851. Of with $412,772, and Blue Chip Bloodstock at $367,579. Winbak course, Jason Bartlett was a factor with $603,323 and Andy Miller in not only led the way in earnings, but in starts as well-sending out fifth with $573,331. Tim Tetrick was the only other one to earn over 24 horses who competed 84 times (17-9-13) cashing 61 times. The a half million at $500,197. John Campbell, who is closing in on a percentage leader was David Firmstone at an incredible 75 percent. $300 million career, pocketed $396,121, Hall Of Fame 2017 inductee In all, 14 Breeders topped the $200,000 mark for the year. Brian Sears banked $456,961 and Andy Miller was the percentage leader among all participants at 32 percent. The Leading Excelsior Breeder was Winbak Farms at $373,699; Excelsior Leading Trainer was Erv Miller with $344,102; Mark North America's top trainer for the eighth straight year also led in Whitcroft was the County Fair leader at 54 wins and earnings New York. Ron Burke led all New York trainers with $1,263,990. of $62,671; David Dewhurst was the leading Fair conditioner at Even though runner-up Linda Toscano had more wins (26), she $42,673.