SITA Changes North American Black-Type Guidelines

The North American members of the Society of International Thoroughbred Auctioneers have ratified changes to the guidelines for North American black-type races.

The changes, recommended by the North American representatives of the International Cataloguing Standards Committee, are being implemented to maintain the standards of integrity for black type in North America.

Effective Jan. 1, 2007, the minimum purse value for black-type races will be increased from $40,000 to $45,000, which must be distributed on the day of the race. The minimum purse value will be further increased to $50,000 effective Jan. 1, 2008.

Also, starting next year, races that contain preference clauses based on criteria unrelated to the quality of the horse will not be awarded black type if such preference clauses could possibly exclude any horse of superior quality from competing.