19617.8. (a) The following definitions govern the construction of this section:
(1) “Breeder” means the person or persons listed as breeder of record by the Arabian Horse Registry of America and so indicated on the horse’s registration papers.
(2) “Eligible earnings” means the following:
(A) In the case of breeder premiums, the annual amount earned by a California-bred Arabian horse for finishing first or second in qualifying races.
(B) In the case of owners’ awards, the annual amount earned by a California-bred Arabian horse for finishing first or second in qualifying races.
(C) In the case of stallion awards, the annual amount earned by California-bred Arabian foals of an eligible Arabian horse sire for finishing first or second in qualifying races.
(D) In order for earnings from a qualifying race to be considered as eligible earnings, an Arabian horse shall be registered as a California-bred horse with the official registering agency before the date entries were taken by the association for the qualifying race in which that horse earned purse money.
(E) In determining the purse earned in any race that is a stakes race, the amount earned shall be based on the added money, with no consideration given to other sources of the purse, such as nomination, entry, or starting fees, bonuses, and sponsor contributions, or any combination thereof.
(F) On or before February 15 of any year, the stallion owner shall advise the official registering agency of any and all purses earned during the preceding year to be considered in determining the amount of the stallion award to which the owner is entitled.
(3) “Eligible Arabian sire” means an Arabian stallion that was continuously present in this state for the calendar year in which the qualifying race was conducted. If a sire dies in this state and stood his last season at stud in this state, he shall thereafter continue to be considered an eligible Arabian sire. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an Arabian or stallion shall be considered an eligible Arabian sire only if its owner has registered the stallion with the official registering agency for the stallion awards on or before February 15 of the calendar year immediately following the calendar year for which the awards are being distributed. Stallion claim forms are due February 15, whether or not the official registering agency solicits them.
(4) “Official registering agency” means the officially recognized organization representing Arabian horsemen designated by the board.
(5) “Owner” means the person who is registered with the paymaster of purses on the date the qualifying race was conducted as the owner of the California-bred Arabian horse earning purse money in that race.
(6) “Qualifying race” means all Arabian horseraces in this state.
(7) “Stallion owner” means the person who is the owner of the eligible Arabian sire as of December 31 of the calendar year in which that sire’s foals had eligible earnings or the person who owned the eligible Arabian sire on the date that the sire died.
(b) Any association conducting a race meeting that includes Arabian horseracing shall deposit with the official registering agency 0.2 of 1 percent of the total amount handled ontrack, and 0.4 of 1 percent of the total amount handled offtrack, in daily conventional and exotic parimutuel pools and a sum equal to 13.33 percent of those funds specified for purses in Section 19612.1 and the sums specified in Sections 19567 and 19617.5, resulting from Arabian horseracing. The deposits shall be made at the following intervals:
(1) For any meeting of 20 racing days or less, the requisite deposit shall be made not later than seven days immediately following the last day of that meeting.
(2) For any meeting of more than 20 racing days, the initial deposit shall be made not later than 27 racing days after the commencement of that meeting and every 20 racing days thereafter, with a final deposit made not later than seven days following the last day of the meeting. The initial deposit for that meeting shall be based upon the applicable amount handled during the first 20 racing days of the meeting and deposits thereafter shall be based upon the applicable amount handled during the ensuing periods of 20 racing days with the last deposit being based upon the applicable amount handled from the end of the last 20-racing-day period for which a deposit has been made to the end of the meeting.
(c) After deducting a sum up to, but not to exceed, 10 percent of the total deposits made pursuant to subdivision (b) and the total deposits made pursuant to other provisions of this chapter, including Sections 19612.1 and 19612.2, to compensate the official registering agency for its administrative costs, the official registering agency shall distribute annually the balance of the deposits in the following manner:
(1) Fifty-five percent to the breeder fund from which breeder premiums are to be paid.
(2) Twenty percent to the owner fund from which owners’ awards are to be paid.
(3) Fifteen percent to the stallion fund from which stallion awards are to be paid.
(4) Ten percent to the California-bred race fund to be used for the promotion of California-bred races and programs, which fund shall be administered by the official registering agency. Any funds not so used during the year shall augment the owner fund of that year and shall be distributable therefrom. It is the intent of the Legislature that all funds used for purses shall supplement and not supplant existing purses for California-breds.
(d) The official registering agency shall make the following payments to the breeder, owner, and stallion owner to encourage agriculture and the breeding of high quality horses in this state:
(1) The breeder shall be paid a sum based on a prorated share of first and second place earnings.
(2) The owner shall be paid an owners’ award, a sum based on a prorated share of first and second place earnings from qualified races by a California-bred Arabian horse.
(3) The stallion owner shall be paid a stallion award, a sum based on a prorated share of first and second place earnings from the Arabian horses who placed first or second in one or more races at a fair meeting, mixed breed meeting, or other type of meeting.
Stallion awards shall not be made to the owner of a sire that has been out of the state for breeding purposes during the calendar year. Stallion awards shall not be made for any race run outside of the State of California.
(4) The breeder premium, and owners’ and stallion awards shall be paid not later than March 31 of the calendar year immediately following the calendar year for which the awards or premiums were earned.
(e) The amount remaining for distribution under this section, if any, after the payments are made under subdivision (d) shall be paid at the end of the year on a prorated percentage basis to the owners of sires of Arabian horses who placed first in one or more races at a fair meeting, mixed breed meeting, or other type of meeting.
(f) If there are insufficient funds to make all of the distributions in this section, there shall be no assessments made against any association to fund the deficiencies.
(g) Any award remaining uncollected for one year from the date of disbursement is null and void. The official registering agency shall deposit the amount of the uncollected award into the award fund existing at that time.
(Repealed and added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 826, Sec. 11. Effective October 13, 1995.)