Sponsor
Atlantic Standardbred Breeders Association (ASBA)
ASBA Central Office
ASBA Central Office
Charlottetown
Inverness
North Sydney
Summerside
Truro
Rules 2025
Eligibility
For 2 and 3-year-old pacing and trotting colts and fillies that were sired by a stallion that was nominated to the Atlantic Sires Stakes in the applicable breeding year.
Participants in the program must be a member of the Atlantic Standardbred Breeders Association. An annual membership payment of $60 for an individual/stallion registration membership and $150 for a Racing Stable Ownership Membership must be paid to Standardbred Canada at time of member’s first nomination or sustaining payment; prior to a new owner’s horse participating in an AtSS event; or to the ASBA office at time of member’s first stallion registration.
Raced at
Inverness Raceway
Northside Downs
Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at Charlottetown Driving Park
Red Shores at Summerside
Truro Raceway
Three-Year-Old Payments
Nomination Fee – $75 – Due May 15, 2023 (closed)
Late Nomination – $150 – Due August 15, 2023 (closed)
Supplemental Fee – $550 – Due at time of 2-year-old sustaining (closed)
(Payable if nomination payment is missed. This total includes the $150 2-year-old sustaining fee.
Sustaining Fee – $150 – Due March 15, 2024 (closed) 2 year old Late Sustaining Fee: $1,000 due March 31, 2024 (closed)
Sustaining Fee – $150 – Due February 15, 2025 3 year old Late Sustaining Fee: $1,000 due February 28, 2025
Two-Year-Old Payments
Nomination Fee – $75 – Due May 15, 2024 (closed)
Late Nomination – $150 – Due August 15, 2024 (closed)
Supplemental Fee – $550 – Due at time of 2-year-old sustaining
(Payable if nomination payment is missed. This total includes the $150 2-year-old sustaining fee.)
Sustaining Fee – $150 – Due March 15, 2025 2 year old Late Sustaining Fee: $1,000 due March 31, 2025
Sustaining Fee – $150 Due February 15, 2026 3 year old Late Sustaining Fee: $1,000 due February 28, 2026
Yearling Payments
Nomination Fee – $75 – Due May 15, 2025
Late Nomination – $150 – Due August 31, 2025
Supplemental Fee – $550 – Due at time of 2-year-old sustaining
(Payable if nomination payment is missed. This total includes the $150 2-year-old sustaining fee.)
Sustaining Fee – $150 – Due March 15, 2026
2 year old Late Sustaining Fee: $1,000 due March 31, 2026
Sustaining Fee -$150 – Due February 15, 2027
3 year old Late Sustaining Fee: $1,000 due February 28, 2027
Starting Fees
A Pacing Event – $300
B Pacing Event – $150
Fair (Pace) – $90
Championship (Pace) – $200
Consolation (Pace) $100
Trotting Events – $200
Championship (Trot) – $200
Conditions
1. These conditions apply to foals of 2022, 2023 and 2024 to race in 2025, 2026 and 2027 (except where indicated).
2. a) Only pure-bred Standardbred foals of stallions registered with the ASBA are eligible to race in Atlantic Sires Stakes (ATSS) events herein provided. Only one foal resulting from embryo/ovum transfer from a given donor mare is eligible for nomination in each year. If more than one foaling results from a donor mare in a given year the first born foal shall be the one to be nominated except, in the case of the recipient mare foaling twins, they both may be nominated.
b) Stallions may be registered with ASBA for a breeding season by a member paying $1,000 on or before March 31 of the breeding year. Stallions must stand their entire breeding season in a Province funding this program.
c) Stallions will also be considered registered for a breeding season by a member paying $1,250 on or before August 1 of the breeding year.
3. a) To be eligible to declare to start in an ATSS race, a horse must meet the qualification requirements of paragraph 4 and have made the necessary payments as required above.
b) Declaration to an ATSS race must be made three (3) days prior to the race, excluding Sundays, by 10:00 a.m. at the racetrack where the race is to be held. The exception will be declaration to a Championship Final and Consolation which must be made four (4) days prior to the race, excluding Sundays, by 10:00 am at the racetrack where the race is to be held.
c) The declaration must clearly state whether it is for the colt or filly division and whether it is for the A or B event.
4. a) Except as permitted in paragraph 4 (d), a horse must show a clean line in its last start in which the individual time of the horse is at least equal to 2:06 for a 3-year-old pacer, 2:09 for a 2¬year-old pacer, 2:11 for a 3-year-old trotter and 2:15 for a 2-year-old trotter. Two consecutive bad lines off a clean line will be allowed for two-year-old trotters only however any 2 or 3 year old pacer or trotter put on the judge’s list for performance must qualify prior to its next start.
b) Such chartered line must be obtained in a purse, or qualifying race not more than 45 days preceding the time for declaration in the race.
c) The judges may give appropriate allowance for the track conditions and shall indicate whether or not the horse qualifies, and if a line is in a purse race it will be considered a clean line if the horse is interfered with, had broken equipment, or finished first, second, or third in that start.
d) Before declaring into an ATSS race, only one of the last two chartered lines must meet the requirements of paragraphs 4 a, b and c.
e) A horse that in its last ATSS race won a B event is eligible to declare back to start in a B event, a horse that in its last ATSS event finished first, second, third or fourth in an A event is not eligible to declare in to start in a B event. Fair events are open to B eligible only.
f) It shall be the responsibility of the Race Secretary at the racetrack where the race is to be held to determine the eligibility of horses declared to start according to these conditions.
g) Conditions 4a) to 4f) apply to the current race season only.
h) Any eligible filly, colt or gelding, changing gait after the sustaining payment in either year, will be eligible to race at the gait adopted.
5. a) In order for a horse to be eligible to and continue in the program or race in an ATSS race, the owner(s) must be a member of the ASBA and the following payments must be made.
b) A nomination payment must be made on or before May 15th of the year in which the horse is a yearling or a late nomination payment of $150 on or before August 31st of that year or may, at the time of the 2-year-old sustaining, pay a penalty fee of $550 which includes the 2-year-old sustaining fee.
c) A sustaining payment must be paid on or before March 15th of the year in which the horse is a 2-year-old in order for that horse to race in an ATSS race at either 2 or 3 years of age. If the March 15th deadline is missed a late sustaining payment of $1,000 must be paid on or before March 31st of the year the horse is a 2 year old in order for that horse to race in an AtSS race at either 2 or 3 years of age.
d) A sustaining payment must be paid on or before February 15th of the year in which the horse is a 3-year-old in order for that horse to race in an ATSS race at 3 years of age. If the February 15th deadline is missed a late sustaining payment of $1,000 must be paid on or before February 28 of the year the horse is a 3 year old in order for that horse to race in an AtSS race at 3 years of age.
e) A starting fee must be paid at the racetrack where the race is being held at least one hour before post time for that race (see above for starting fees).
f) The owner of a horse declared to start in an ATSS race is liable to pay the starting fee for that race and if the horse does not start and the starting payment is not made, the owner and any horse in which they have an interest will not be permitted to participate in the ATSS program until such payment is made.
g) The racetrack at which the ATSS is held shall be responsible for receiving and accounting for starting fees.
h) All nominating and sustaining payments, including those made online, must be received by the Administrator not later than the hour of closing, except those made by mail must bear a postmark or processing mark placed thereon not later than the hour of closing despite inadequacies of the postal system. In the event the hour of closing falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday in any of the participating provinces, the hour of closing shall be extended to the same hour of the next business day. The hour of closing shall be midnight of the due date.
6. a) Each ATSS race shall be contested at a distance of one mile.
b) In the case of 5 or more starters, the purse distribution for an ATSS race shall be: 45%, 25%, 15%, 10%, and 5%. In the case of 4 starters, the distribution shall be: 50%, 25%, 15%, and 10%. In the case of 3 starters, the distribution will be 50%, 30% and 20%. In the case of 2 starters, the purse distribution will be 60% and 40%.
c) If five or more separate betting interests are declared to start in an ATSS event, the track shall hold the race and shall contribute their share of purse as per conditions. In the event of less than five separate betting entries in A pacing events and in trotting events, the track shall hold the race as either a wagering event with the stated contribution to purse or as non-wagering event with no track contribution to purse. In the event of less than four declared separate betting entries in a B division pacing event the event will not be held, and any monies received as nominating and sustaining fees that would have been allotted to that event will be divided equally among the declared entries.
d)The maximum number of entries per AtSS race will be 8 horses.
However, if there are only 9 horses declared into an AtSS event, a 9 horse field will be permitted subject to APHRC Rule 220.
e) In the event that it is impossible to race these events for any reason whatsoever, all monies received as nomination and sustaining fees will be divided equally to their category among those horses eligible in the categories as yearlings, 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds.
f) The ASBA reserves the right to reject entry, change any order of events, races or program, and place an entry in eligible class if entered incorrectly.
7. a) There shall be six divisions of the Atlantic Sires Stakes, as indicated above.
b) Each pacing division shall have A, B, and Fair events as hereinafter provided.
c) There shall be a Championship Final for each of the four pacing divisions and each of the two trotting divisions. The pacing divisions will have a Consolation race.
d) Horses will be allowed an opportunity to participate in the Championship Final in order of priority based on points accumulated in A pacing events and trot events that season. Points will be awarded as follows; 1st place — 9, 2nd place — 7, 3rd place — 6, 4th place — 5, 5th place –4, 6th place-3, 7th place-2, and 8th place-1. Ties will be decided by lot. If any AtSS event is declared a No Contest, 3 points will be assigned to each unoffending horse deemed to have started.
e) The remaining point earners after the top 8 declare into the Championship will be eligible for the Consolation, however, if there are not enough A-point earners to fill the Championship and Consolation, the top B money earners will be next eligible for the Championship and Consolation respectively.
f) Declaration to a Championship Final and Consolation must be made four (4) days prior to the race, excluding Sundays, by 10:00 am at the racetrack where the race is to be held.
g) After eight participants have indicated their intention to declare to start in the Championship, an also-eligible list, based on the above point system will be formulated.
h) An also eligible shall start upon payment of the starting fee, in the event that another horse does not declare to start or subsequently scratches from the Championship race.
i) To be eligible for the Championship or Consolation a horse must have participated in one of the Atlantic Sire Stakes races during the season. Eligible lists for the Championship and Consolation will be generated based on accumulated points from A divisions and from the B stake money earners. Any ties in point standings or B money earnings will be decided by a draw conducted by representatives of the ASBA and the Atlantic Provinces Harness Racing Commission.
8. a) The purse funds for 2 and 3-year-olds shall be allocated 20% for trotters and 40% each for pacing colts and fillies.
b) Nomination fees will be allocated 50% to the 2-year-old purse fund and 50% to the 3-year-¬old purse fund. Sustaining fees will be allocated to the year in which raced.
c) Government funds received by the ASBA will be allocated 50% to each of the 2 and 3-year¬old purse funds for that year.
d) Purses will consist of track contributions, starting fees, and the ASBA contribution, which will consist of the Government funds received, nominating, and sustaining fees and sponsorships. They will be allocated as determined, on a year-to-year basis, by the Directors of the ASBA in an equitable manner as may be dictated by various Government and sponsor restrictions.
9. a) The track contributions for these events will be a minimum, subject to upward negotiation, as follows; 2-year-old A Event – $1,000 plus $1000 for each division more than one; B Events – $1,000 for each division plus $1,000 for each division more than one 3-year-old A Event – $2,000 plus $700 for each division more than one; B Events – $1,000 for each division plus $1,000 for each division more than one; 2-year-old Trotters $1,000 for one division plus $500 added for each additional division; 3-year-old Trotters $1,000 for one division plus $500 added for each additional division; Fair Events – $500 plus 50% added if more than one division.
b) There shall be Championship pools for both the 2 and 3-year-old pacers and trotters.
c) Each racetrack shall contribute an amount equal to an A event purse contribution for that track to each of the 2 and 3-year-old Championship pools.
10. The ASBA will retain whatever portion of the stallion fees, membership fees, interest, and sponsorship contributions as required to carry out its operations.
11. An owner who owes funds to the ASBA, and any horse in which they have an interest, will not be permitted to participate in the ATSS program until such funds are paid in full.
12. The ASBA reserves the right to make any changes in the format of the program as considered necessary by the Directors. Any changes are required to be approved by the APHRC, and proper notification sent to the industry.
13. All events conducted under the rules and regulations of the Atlantic Provinces Harness Racing Commission, APHRC assumes no liability for purses, injury, damages, or loss to participants in this event.
Contact
Atlantic Standardbred Breeders Association
Debbie Francis
31 Cochrane Lane, Sweets Corner, NS, BON 2T0
Tel (902) 790-1885
Fax (902) 798-1134
Stakes Administration
Standardbred Canada Stakes Department
1-2150 Meadowvale Boulevard, Mississauga, ON, L6N 6R6
Tel (905) 858-3060 x 254
Fax (905) 858-8047