Shanno:

Anybody think of bringing the Golden Boy, Paul Hornung, back?

Sorry I couldn't resist.

Bonus money has been around for a while. Here it was incorporated into the purse
structure, in other instances the bonus money arrangement is cut in a back room
where an owner or trainer will be paid what amounts to "appearance" money. To
be cynical one advantage of making a back door deal directly with the owner is
that the owner might be able to keep trainer and jockey from finding out about
the arrangement and keeping the entire kit and kaboodle.

If I remember correctly,this issue was most prominent after Spend A Buck won
the Kentucky Derby. As I recall, Spend A Buck passed on the Preakness Stakes so
that he might run in Garden State Park's big stake for 3YOs (Jersey Derby?).
The reason: Garden State's owner, Robert Brennan, put up a huge bonus for a colt
who won the Ky Derby and the Jersey Derby.

I think an incentive structure such as this, if the bonus is big enough, might
be a way to keep horses in training longer (ie enhanced purse for an animal 4&
up who won a graded stake at 2 or 3).