DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE  
FINANCIAL PROGRAMS REGULATION SECTION  
REGULATION NO. 821. THOROUGHBRED SIRE STAKE RACES AND  
AWARDS PROGRAM  
(By authority conferred on the director of the department of agriculture by section 7 of Act  
No. 279 of the Public Acts of 1995, as amended, and section 13 of Act No. 327 of the  
Public Acts of 1980, as amended, being ''16.109, 16.278, and 431.307 of the Michigan  
Compiled Laws)  
R 285.821.1 Definitions.  
Rule 1. As used in these rules:  
(a) "Department" means the Michigan department of agriculture.  
(b) "Director" means the director of the department or his or her designee.  
(c) "Domicile" means the fixed, permanent, and principal home to which a person intends  
to return.  
(d) "Earned purse" means the portion of a purse distribution that is awarded for the order  
of finish up to 3 placings, the term includes any state purse supplement, but does not include  
any other award funds.  
(e) "Gross purse" means the total money offered for a purse.  
(f) "H.B.P.A." means the horsemen's benevolent and protective association, Michigan  
division.  
(g) "Host track" means the licensed racing association designated by the director to  
conduct thoroughbred sire stake races.  
(h) "Jockey club" means the jockey club, incorporated.  
(i) "Lessee" means a person who is domiciled in Michigan, who leases a stallion, and  
whose name has been recorded with the jockey club register as the registered lessee of a  
horse. A copy of the lease shall be filed with the department.  
(j) "Michigan stallion" means a registered stallion which was leased or owned exclusively  
by a resident of this state and which did not serve a mare at a location outside of this state  
during the calendar year in which the service occurred. A stallion shall be registered with  
the director, on forms provided by the department, by January 1 of each year in which the  
stallion will be standing at service in this state. A newly acquired stallion purchased after  
January 1 of the breeding year shall be eligible for mares bred after the stallion is registered  
with the director if the stallion has not served any mares outside of this state during the  
calendar year.  
(k) "Michigan-sired horse" means a horse sired by a registered stallion and duly  
nominated under R 285.821.4.  
(l) "M.T.O.B.A. " means the Michigan thoroughbred owners and breeders association.  
(m) "Stallion owner" or "owner of a Michigan stallion" means an individual, partnership,  
association, or corporation that owns a stallion at the time of registration.  
Page 1  
Courtesy of Michigan Administrative Rules  
(n) "Owner of a Michigan-sired horse" means a person who is licensed under section 16  
of Act No. 279 of the Public Acts of 1995, being '431.316 of the Michigan Compiled Laws,  
and who owns a registered Michigan-sired horse.  
(o) "Person" means an individual, partnership, association, or corporation that owns a  
stallion at the time of service.  
(p) "Sire stake" means a race condition for 2-year-old, 3-year-old, and 4-year-old and up  
Michigan-sired thoroughbred horses.  
(q) "Thoroughbred racing association" means an association that is licensed by the  
Michigan racing commissioner to conduct thoroughbred horse races in Michigan at a host  
track approved by the director.  
History: 1983 AACS; 1989 AACS; 1998-2000 AACS.  
R 285.821.2 Determination of domicile.  
Rule 2. Factors to be considered in determining domicile are as follows:  
(a) Voting registration or alien registration showing a Michigan address.  
(b) Federal income tax return showing a Michigan address.  
(c) State income tax return showing a Michigan address.  
History: 1983 AACS.  
R 285.821.3 Foals eligible for nomination; racing divisions.  
Rule 3. The Michigan sire stakes races shall be raced in not less than 6 separate divisions  
as follows:  
(a) Two-year-old colts and geldings.  
(b) Two-year-old fillies.  
(c) Three-year-old colts and geldings.  
(d) Three-year-old fillies.  
(e) Four-year-old and up colts and geldings.  
(f) Four-year-old and up fillies and mares.  
History: 1983 AACS; 1998-2000 AACS.  
R 285.821.4 Fees; nominations; award percentages.  
Rule 4. (1) The payment schedule shall be as follows:  
(a) Year of foaling - nomination shall be made by December thirty-first at no fee and shall  
be recorded with the department.  
(b) All fees shall be determined by a committee of 1 member each from the thoroughbred  
racing association, the H.B.P.A., and the M.T.O.B.A., shall be payable to the racing  
association commencing 30 days before racing of the finals, and shall be added to the  
respective divisions.  
(c) The department is responsible for providing applications and accepting nominations.  
(2) In 1996 and all years thereafter, up to 75% or $600,000.00, if appropriated, whichever  
is greater, of the money allocated to the sire stakes program available by statute shall be  
Page 2  
Courtesy of Michigan Administrative Rules  
utilized for special races for horses by registered Michigan sires and such races shall  
include but not be limited to the following 6 divisions which shall at all times be of equal  
purse value.  
(a) Two-year-old colts and geldings.  
(b) Two-year-old fillies.  
(c) Three-year-old colts and geldings.  
(d) Three-year-old fillies.  
(e) Four-year-old and up colts and geldings.  
(f) Four-year-old and up fillies and mares.  
Included in the 75% or $600,000, if appropriated, whichever is greater, may be additional  
races with separate purse value for race conditions determined by the committee, described  
in R 285.821.4(3).  
(3) The director shall allocate Michigan-sired horse owner awards and stallion owner  
awards after reviewing recommendations made by a committee consisting of a  
representative of the director, The H.B.P.A., M.T.O.B.A., O.R.C., and a representative of  
the host track.  
(4) The department shall not be the holding agent for fees provided by this rule.  
History: 1983 AACS; 1998-2000 AACS.  
R 285.821.5 Designation of host tracks; race dates; postponement and rescheduling  
of races.  
Rule 5. (1) The director shall designate annually which pari-mutuel track or tracks shall  
host the Michigan sire stake races. To assist the director in designating the track and to help  
determine the time and conditions of the races to be run, an advisory panel is established  
consisting of the following persons:  
(a) Any thoroughbred breeders and owners selected by the director.  
(b) The Michigan racing commissioner or his or her designee.  
(c) A representative of the pari-mutuel thoroughbred race meet licensees.  
(d) A member of the Michigan department of agriculture, designated by the director, who  
shall act as chairman.  
(2) The director shall make announcements of the track or tracks designated to host the  
races not later than November 1 preceding the year in which the races are to be conducted.  
(3) If, because of unfavorable weather or other unavoidable circumstances, the Michigan  
sire stake races are postponed, the director may reschedule the races at another licensed  
thoroughbred track, if the licensed track originally designated to host the sire stakes is  
unable to do so.  
History: 1983 AACS.  
R 285.821.6 Determination of field; applicable rules.  
Rule 6. (1) If the field, after the nomination and entry fees are paid, contains more than  
the track’s maximum available field, then the field shall be determined by the lifetime  
money earnings of the top entries to fill the track’s maximum field.  
Page 3  
Courtesy of Michigan Administrative Rules  
(2) Racing of sire stake races, where not specifically covered by these rules, shall be raced  
under the rules of the Michigan racing commissioner, being R 431.1 to R 431.4290.  
(3) The racing commissioner shall certify, to the director, at the completion of racing, in  
each condition book, the results of all races won by a Michigan-sired horse and also the  
results of all races in which a Michigan-sired horse finished first, second, or third in a race  
that was not restricted to Michigan-sired horses.  
History: 1983 AACS; 1998-2000 AACS.  
R 285.821.7 Purse distribution.  
Rule 7. Each purse in the Michigan sire stake races shall be divided among the winners  
of each final race in the following manner:  
(a) Five or more starters......................60%, 20%, 11%, 6%, 3%.  
(b) Four starters..................................60%, 20%, 12%, 8%.  
(c) Three starters.................................60%, 25%, 15%.  
(d) Two starters...................................60%, 40%.  
(e) One starter....................................100%.  
History: 1983 AACS.  
R 285.821.8 Michigan-sired horse owner awards.  
Rule 8. (1) An award of up to 30% of the earned purse shall be paid to the owner of a  
Michigan-sired horse that wins an eligible race which is not restricted to Michigan-sired  
horses at a state-licensed pari-mutuel track in Michigan. An award may also be paid of up  
to 30% of the earned purse to the owner of a Michigan-sired horse that finished second or  
third in a race which was not restricted to Michigan-sired horses at a state-licensed pari-  
mutuel track in Michigan.  
(2) An award is limited to $10,000.00 for any 1 race.  
(3) Michigan-sired horse owner awards shall be paid in the same manner as state purse  
supplements under R 285.810.6.  
History: 1983 AACS; 1998-2000 AACS.  
R 285.821.9 Stallion owner awards.  
Rule 9. (1) An award of up to 5% of the gross purse shall be paid to the owner of a  
Michigan stallion whose progeny wins a race at a state-licensed pari-mutuel track in  
Michigan.  
(2) An award is limited to $10,000.00 for any 1 race.  
(3) Payment of stallion owner awards shall be determined and processed at the end of  
each fiscal year. Stallion owner awards will not be paid if total award is less than $250.00  
per year.  
History: 1983 AACS; 1998-2000 AACS.  
Page 4  
Courtesy of Michigan Administrative Rules  
R 285.821.10 Ineligibility of person or entity to participate in future sire stakes  
program.  
Rule 10. A person who willfully falsifies a document required by these rules or who  
willfully accepts and retains any purse monies contrary to these rules is ineligible to  
participate in any future sire stakes program under the provisions of these rules.  
History: 1983 AACS; 1998-2000 AACS.  
Page 5  
Courtesy of Michigan Administrative Rules  
;