The Ship and Win program inaugurated in 2011 for the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club meeting helped lure 107 horses from from out of state during the ultra-competitive summer racing months. Among the trainers who shipped to Del Mar was Texas-based Dallas Keen, who previously trained in Southern California in the 1990s. Keen brought 10 horses to the seaside track in 2011 because of the program that paid $1,000 and a 20% purse bonus for each qualifying horse’s first start.

This year, with the bonus money increased to 25% for their first 2012 Del Mar start (in addition to the $1,000 start payment), Keen has returned with an even bigger group of out-of-state horses, 30. In a video interview with Ray Paulick, Keen talked about the Del Mar Ship and Win program and how it’s encouraged more of his owners to give Southern California horseracing a try.