Fasig-Tipton’s $500,000 Preakness Incentive Adds to Maryland’s Annual Bonus Program

Fasig-Tipton is offering a $500,000 bonus if a horse offered at its 2026 Eastern Fall Yearlings Sale wins the 2028 Preakness Stakes, adding a significant incentive alongside Maryland’s annual Preakness bonus program.

The Fasig-Tipton bonus will be divided equally: $250,000 to the horse’s owner at the time of the Preakness victory and $250,000 to its owner when offered at the 2026 sale. All horses offered are eligible, including those that do not meet their reserve.

The sale will take place Tuesday, October 27, beginning at 11 a.m. at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium.

Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning emphasized the Preakness’s importance to Midlantic racing and its connection to the region’s yearling market. The 2028 running is scheduled for the rebuilt Pimlico Race Course, just nine miles from the sales grounds.

For qualifying Maryland horses, the new incentive adds to the annual Preakness bonus authorized by the Maryland Racing Commission and supported by MTHA, the Maryland Horse Breeders Association and The Maryland Jockey Club.

Maryland’s program provides the following awards for a Preakness winner:

• Maryland-bred and Maryland-sired: $500,000 total, consisting of $225,000 to the owner, $225,000 to the breeder and a $50,000 stallion award.
• Maryland-bred but not Maryland-sired: $450,000 total, divided equally between the owner and breeder.
• Maryland-sired but not Maryland-bred: $275,000 total, consisting of $225,000 to the owner and a $50,000 stallion award.

Second-place finishers receive 20% of the applicable awards, while third-place finishers receive 10%. If Maryland-bred/sired horses sweep the top three positions, the agreement provides for an additional $150,000 paid by MTHA and MHBA in the same percentages.

Together, the programs create the opportunity for $1 million in combined bonuses if an eligible Maryland-bred and Maryland-sired horse offered at the 2026 Eastern Fall Yearlings Sale wins the 2028 Preakness. The incentives reward investment in Maryland horses while strengthening the connection between the state’s breeding industry, sales marketplace and signature race.

Supplemental entries for the Eastern Fall Yearlings Sale are being accepted. For information, contact Paget Bennett at 610-322-9867.

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