Dear Fellow Horsemen,

As a means to increase field size and to better accommodate our owners, the ITHA has agreed to an experimental program, which is effective Thursday, July 7^th. This program will effectively pay jockey mount fees and hopefully off set a sluggish handle, which is having a negative effect on the purse accounts. The ITHA will always endeavor to better serve our members and to protect and grow the purse account.

With the condition book effective this Thursday, July 7th, the following purse distribution calculation will be in place for all non-stakes races at Arlington Park:

                                New      Old

1st Place              60%        60%

2nd Place             20%        20%

3rd Place              10%        11%

4th Place              5%          6%

5th Place              3%          3%

6th-Last                2% divided equally with a $100 minimum paid to each losing owner.

Example using a purse of $20,000 with 8 starters:

Step 1 - Calculate losers 2% share of the purse: example $20,000 purse x 2% = $400.

Step 2 - Calculate number of losers: (8 starters - 5 winners) = 3 losers

Step 3 - Calculate losers payment: $400 / 3 losers = $133 to each of the 3 losers

If the losers share from Step 3 is $100 or greater:

Step 4 - Calculate 1st thru 5th against the total $20,000 purse for a total winners share of $19,600

Step 5 - Calculate any breakage: $19,600 from Step 4 + ($133 x 3) from Step 3 = $19,999.   20,000.00 - 19,999= 1.00 breakage.

Step 6 - Award breakage to the winner

If the losers share from Step 3 is less than $100: Reduce the total purse by the difference between the $100 minimum losers payment and 2% of the purse. See next example.

Example using a purse of $14,500 with 8 starters (see race 4 on attached sheet):

1.       Step 1 - Calculate losers 2% of the purse: $14,500 purse x 2% = $290.

2.       Step 2 - Calculate number of losers: 8 starters - 5 = 3 losers

3.       Step 3 - Calculate losers’ payment: $290 / 3 losers = $97.00 to each of the 3 losers

Since the losers share from Step 3 is less than $100:

4.       Step 4 - Calculate purse adjustment: 2% of purse ($290) less minimum loser payments of $300 = a minus 10.00 adjustment to the purse before calculating 1st thru 5th places: 14,500 - $10 = $14,490

1st place - 14,490 x 60% = 8694

2nd place - 14,490 x 20% = 2898

3rd place - 14,490 x 10% = 1449

4th place - 14,490 x 5% = 725

5th place - 14,490 x 3% = 435

Total winners share = 14,201 + 300 losers - 14,501

The $1 overpayment is deducted from the winners share.

There is an exception to the above in case of a dead-heat for 5th place. Previously, the two 5th place horses would simply split the 5th place purse of 3%. In the new formula, we must take 3% of the 5th place purse plus 1 losers share of the 2% losers share (or the minimum losers share if applicable).

Other exceptions:

Previously, if there were less than 5 starters the undistributed purse $ were returned to the track purse account. With the new formula, this will apply if there are less than 6 starters. See race 1 on the attachment. In this case, $170 (2% of 8,500) will be returned to the track purse account.

Illinois Owner Awards - Just an advisory that the 40% (Illinois Foaled) or 60% (Illinois Bred) is based on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place share of the purse. This amount will be reduced to reflect any lowered purse distributions for those places.

Sincerely,

Michael B. Campbell

President, Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association