Maryland’s Horsemen Reap Rewards From Stakes and Bonus Programs

After a successful and lucrative launch in the summer of 2025, the Maryland-Bred Out-of-State Owner and Developer Bonus Program benefited from an increased financial outlay for 2026 that was shared by 150 unique owners and 140 unique developers.

The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and The Maryland Jockey Club devised the program to provide financial benefits for the connections of registered Maryland-breds given a new partnership with Virginia designed to strengthen Thoroughbred racing in both states. In 2025 and again this year, Laurel Park was dark in July and most of August during the Colonial Downs meet, which has offered live racing four days a week.

This summer incentive program complements Maryland’s existing Maryland-Bred Owner and Developer Bonus Program currently offered at Laurel, the Maryland State Fair at Timonium, and Pimlico Race Course when it reopens. For live racing in Maryland, 30% bonuses (15% for owners and 15% for developers) are paid for most overnight races.

At Colonial but also at Delaware Park, where racing is held three or four days a week depending on the month, the summer bonus program is based on accumulated points depending on race classifications that are comparable to races at Maryland tracks.

The race classifications and points system are explained in detail in the annual report that will be released soon pending the release of purse funds for medication holds.

The dark-period bonus program, which was in place from July 3 through August 23, began at $600,000 last year, but this year the prize pool was increased to $700,000. The dates for the program are based on the summer dates Laurel has traditionally held.

The bonuses are based on points earned by registered Maryland-breds for first-, second- and third-place finishes in open overnight races at the Colonial and Delaware. Stakes, Certified races and state-bred races are not included.

The owner and developer bonus pools each totaled $350,000. The total value of one bonus point for either group was $380.12 this year.

In all, 246 Maryland-breds tentatvly qualified for out-of-state owner and developer bonuses in 2026. Delaware Park hosted 140 (56%), while Colonial registered 106 (44%), according to statistics in the annual report.

There were 12 owner and developer entities—some are both owner and developer—that earned between $10,000 and $23,000 in 2026. There were 16 with bonus earnings between $7,000 and $9,700. Many fell in the $2,000 to $6,700 range.

This summer incentive program complements Maryland’s existing Maryland-Bred Owner and Developer Bonus Program currently offered at Laurel, the Maryland State Fair at Timonium, and Pimlico Race Course when it reopens.

This year’s number of horses that participated in the bonus program was up about 25% from 2025. The MTHA, which oversees the Maryland Thoroughbred Purse Account, thanks all the owners and developers who participated in the 2026 program and made it a success following the pilot program in 2025.

As in 2025, Developer bonuses will be issued by check and mailed to owners on record. Owner bonuses will be deposited directly into owner’s InCompass account. Funds are expected to be disbursed in mid September, after standard medication holds have been resolved.

In addition to the bonus program, Maryland and Virginia again partnered on a joint stakes schedule for state-bred and state-sired horses in both states. Purses total $1.4 million ($750,000 from Virginia and $650,000 from Maryland).

The program began June 20 at Laurel with a pair of stakes and runs through December, during which Laurel will host four stakes including the $125,000 Juvenile and the $125,000 Juvenile Fillies. Colonial Downs hosted six stakes from July 11 through August 29.

Through August, Maryland-bred or -sired horses had collected about 75% of the purse money in the stakes given the larger state-bred population in Maryland. 

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