The Under 20’s Claiming Challenge is open to all trainers stabled at NYRA facilities with a total number of horses not to exceed 20 in their care nationwide at the start of the contest. The contest will run during the Aqueduct Winter and Spring meets. The contestants will earn points in all winners’ claiming races.

Trainers who wish to participate must sign up by December 28, 2023 with all contest applications in no later than 3:30 pm.

Rules

A trainer shall be eligible if the initial total number of horses in their care is no more than 20 nationwide and the trainer is stabled at NYRA facilities. Any trainer allotted 21 stalls or more will be automatically ineligible for the contest.
Stall allotments for the 2024 Aqueduct winter/spring meets will be used to determine eligible trainers.
Eligible trainers must then fill out a contest application and submit it to the racing office by 3:30 pm on Thursday, December 28th, 2023. The application will contain the roster of horses that the trainer wishes to make eligible for the contest.
On December 31st, the racing office will post all eligible trainers in the contest. There can be no more than 20 horses on the roster at any given time. Only roster horses can earn the trainer points. Thus, a trainer’s stable may grow above 20 horses, but not all will be eligible for the contest.
Trainers can grow their roster list by claim only. After a horse is claimed, it will be added to the trainer’s roster at the trainer’s request only. This will not be done automatically. The roster once again cannot grow above 20 for contest purposes.
A trainer may replace a claimed horse who was on their roster with another claimed horse that was claimed in their name. The trainer must request the horse to be added to his/her roster; this is not done automatically.
In order to earn contest points, the request to add a horse to the roster must be done before the next race of said horse. Points will not be awarded retroactively.
A trainer may replace an injured horse on the roster up until March 30, 2024 via the claim box in his/her name.
The contest starts January 1, 2024 and ends at the conclusion of the Aqueduct spring meet. Points will be tallied and records will be checked by May 30th, 2024 after which awards will be granted.
Points will only be earned in claiming races for winners. Horses in for a tag in an allowance optional claiming or starter optional claiming race will qualify for contest points. Points are not earned in maiden, allowance, starter allowance, or stakes races.
A horse that ends up on the stewards’ list for poor performance will not earn the trainer points for that race.
A dead heat will result in points paid out according to the same method as purse structure. For example, a dead heat for 2nd place would result in points for 2nd and 3rd place being added together, then divided equally between the two horses that dead heated.
Horses that are running for 50% or less of the claiming price from their most recent start will only be eligible to earn 50% of the typical points for that race.
Horses can only earn contest points for 2 races within a given 30 day time period. A horse may enter in additional races during that timeframe, but will not earn contest points for those additional races.
Trainers may be declared ineligible if they do not abide by the rules of the contest.

Standings will be updated on the overnight.

The Senior Vice President of Racing Operations and Board of Stewards retain the right to review any actions pertaining to this contest that are detrimental to racing.

Contest Point Structure

Dirt Races - All non-stakes races

1st Place - 6 points
2nd Place - 5 points
3rd Place - 4 points
4th Place - 3 points
5th Place - 2 points

Turf Races - All non-stakes races

1st Place - 5 points
2nd Place - 4 points
3rd Place - 3 points
4th Place - 2 points
5th Place - 1 points

Trainer Bonuses

The top eight trainers in the contest will share in a prize pool of $80,000.

Division A (11-20 stalls) – Prize Pool: $60,000
1st Place - $16,000
2nd Place - $12,000
3rd Place - $10,000
4th Place - $9,000
5th Place - $7,000
6th Place - $6,000

Division B (1-10 stalls) – Prize Pool: $50,000
1st Place - $16,000
2nd Place - $12,000
3rd Place - $10,000
4th Place - $7,000
5th Place - $5,000

Deadlines

December 28 - All contest applications must be in no later than 3:30 p.m.
December 31 - List of eligible contest trainers posted
January 1 - Contest begins
March 30 - No additional horses may be added to earn contest points (unless replacing a claimed or injured horse as per contest rules)
June 1 - Awards scheduled to be paid out

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