Breeders’ Cup Reduces Nomination Fee by Half for Low-Tier Stallions

Beginning with the 2027 foal crop, progeny of North American stallions standing for a stud fee of up to $5,000 will be assigned a $200 nomination fee, while the cost will rise to $600 for offspring of sires commanded at $100,000 or more

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Special to Turf Diario).- Addressing the economic challenges faced by a large segment of the Thoroughbred breeding industry, the Breeders’ Cup Board of Directors approved a new foal nomination fee structure, featuring tiered rates based on the stallion's advertised stud fee.

The change will take effect with the 2027 foal crop and its main highlight will be a 50 percent reduction in the registration cost for the progeny of nominated North American sires standing for a stud fee of $5,000 or less.

In those cases, the fee will drop from the current $400 to $200. According to organization estimates, this measure will benefit around 3,500 foals per season and aims specifically to alleviate the situation for breeders operating in the lower-market segments.

At the other end of the spectrum, 2027 foals by nominated North American stallions with an advertised stud fee of $100,000 or more will have to pay $600 to enter the program.

For the intermediate tier, which includes stallions with stud fees between $5,001 and $99,999, the nomination fee will remain unchanged at $400.

The decision seeks to adapt the Breeders’ Cup nomination system to the current reality of the industry, which is quite different from the market conditions of two decades ago, while preserving one of the program's main attractions: lifetime eligibility.

“Our Board recognizes that the breeding industry has changed significantly over the last 20 years and that our nomination program must evolve with it,” explained Dora Delgado, Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Officer of Breeders’ Cup Limited.

“Making participation more equitable for breeders across all segments of the industry is a priority, while preserving the exceptional lifetime value that a Breeders’ Cup nomination provides,” the executive added.

The modification represents an attempt to distribute costs more proportionally to each stallion's commercial value, reducing the impact on those breeding in the lower tiers and shifting part of that difference toward the crops of the highest-priced sires.

To compete in any of the 14 races that comprise the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, all horses must be nominated to the program, either during their foal stage or later through the system designed for horses in training.

Once the nomination is completed, the horse retains its eligibility throughout its entire career, both for the Breeders’ Cup World Championships and for the remaining purse and incentive programs, without requiring further registration payments.

The 2026 edition of the great American festival, which will distribute over $34,000,000 in purses and bonuses, will still maintain the current structure for foals born this year.

Early nominations must be submitted before midnight on August 1, 2026, at a cost of $400 for weanlings set to be offered in autumn or winter sales.

Meanwhile, the deadline for standard nominations will expire at midnight on October 15, also with a fee of $400 per foal.

The new scale, therefore, will only take effect with the 2027 crop, but it signals a concrete gesture from the Breeders’ Cup toward a sector that has been demanding answers in the face of rising production costs and the difficulties of maintaining profitability at the middle and lower levels of the market.