Ro Parra's Millennium Farms has announced a frequent-breeder awards program like those that have been successfully used in other consumer markets.
According to a release from the farm, the Millennium Rewards Program awards points to breeders for using Millennium Farms stallions and for the resulting offspring’s successes in the sales ring and on the track.
Breeders accrue points in the following ways:
•Opening a Frequent Breeder Account earns 10,000 points.
•One point is earned for every dollar spent on stud fees.
•One point is earned for every dollar a Millennium-bred brings its first time through an auction.
•One point accrues for every dollar a Millennium-bred earns at the race track.
•A black type stakes win garners 10,000 points.
•A grade III win earns 25,000 points.
•A grade II win scores 50,000 points.
•A grade I win is worth 75,000 points.
Points are then converted to dollars at a rate of 10% and can be applied toward the stud fee of any Millennium Farms stallion. For example, husband/wife breeders Ramiro Salazar and Denise Belcher of Georgetown, Ky., sold an Even The Score yearling out of their mare Ginger Ginger for $160,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July sale; they now have a $16,000 credit on their Millennium Rewards account that can be applied toward 2008 stud fees.
The program, which will officially launch Jan. 1, 2008, is retroactive to January 2005.