Arcadia, Calif. – Post Time Self Insurance Group (PTSIG) has advised that there is no change in the horse industry’s workers’ compensation program covering backstretch workers and jockeys at the start of 2025, though rates may change due to the short notice decision to greatly reduce the number of race dates in northern California. PTSIG is currently assessing the impact from a reduction in the number of starts in an updated 2025 forecast. The workers’ compensation program is operated by PTSIG and most of the program funding is derived from per-stall charges to trainers and per-start fees to owners.
For now, the owners’ per-start fee remains unchanged at $158 and will continue to be automatically deducted from the owner’s paymaster account when a horse competes in a race in California. Owners have the right to opt out of the Post Time Self Insurance program, provided they secure workers’ compensation coverage to comply with the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) requirement.
The base rate for the per-stall fee also remains unchanged at $5.00 per day. Over the past several years, workers’ compensation rates have held steady with a slight decline during that period in the per-stall rate and per-start rate from 2021 to today. The table below provides the history.
There is no change in the guaranteed participation purse money provided, which serves as an offset to these costs for owners of horses that do not finish first through fifth and are not included in the official purse distribution. The guaranteed participation purse money is designed to help owners cover core costs such as the mandatory vet exam fee required by the CHRB as well as workers’ compensation insurance. Guaranteed participation purse money is paid at a rate of $500 in Southern California and $450 in Northern California for horses which finish sixth and beyond. In some cases, there is also a top-up payment to meet this level when the purse money share for a fifth-place finish is less than the guaranteed amount.
Recent History (2021-2025) Southern California Rates
| Year | Owner Per Start | Trainer Base Rate Per-Stall | Guaranteed Participation Purse Money |
| 2025 | $158 | $5.00 | $500 |
| 2024 | $158 | $5.00 | $500 |
| 2023 | $146 | $4.60 | $500 |
| 2022 | $162 | $5.10 | $500 |
| 2021 | $162 | $5.10 | $500 |
