Thoroughbred Racing World

What does it mean when your horse is "AE"?

2012-02-12T11:31:00.001-08:00

The "AE" horses appear in the program at the bottom of the list of horses entered in a race, usually in a shaded box with "AE" next to them. That means these horses are "Also Eligible". Which means that if only 10 horses are allowed in a race but more than 10 are entered, the horses who definately get in the race have satisfied various criteria, and the rest are on stand-by. If one of the definate horses scratches out of the race prior to a set deadline on the morning of the race, then an AE horse takes its place, in a set order. It's my understanding that the preference system and also the scratch time deadline can vary from track to track - someone please correct me if I'm wrong about that.

Owners need to understand this part of the game. It's a part that can be foggy for owners and bettors alike. It's tough for owners to plan to attend a race when their horse is "on the AE", but it's part of the drama! Today Jere talked to his owner at about 11:30 on the day of the race to discuss "plan B" since their horse on the AE that day did not get in. Some owners think they have until the time of the race to maybe get in if a horse scratches, but that's not the way it works in the United States.

Jere had a good time relating how in Saudia Arabia he had to have his horse ready up until the time of the race in case a horse scratched to let his horse in. Many things can happen between scratch time and the race - the state vet can scratch a horse for signs of lameness in the post parade, a horse can get loose and run off before the race, etc. But as he told his owner, as of 11am on the day of the race, if your horse doesn't scratch into the race, "The Party's Over, Done and Dusted. Time for plan B."

How do travelers who are unfamiliar with horseracing decide to visit a racetrack?

2012-02-12T10:57:00.000-08:00

I know one thing - many racetracks don't make it easy for new customers to find them and that worries me. For instance, if you Google "Hawthorne Race Course" and click on the Google Map that comes up at the top of the search results, you get a big blank space with a lake and a pin labelled "Illinois Thoroughbred Breeders". So although Hawthorne has a web site, they are not working on their overall internet presence (as of today anyway, hopefully this is quickly fixed).

Similarly, I wrote a quick review on Tripadvisor.com of Busch Gardens in Tampa after a recent visit. After you submit a review the web site automatically emails to ask you to review more attractions in the same city, so I figured I'd give Tampa Bay Downs a nice review. Unfortunately this very popular travel site Tripadvisor.com has no idea about Tampa Bay Downs, so I'm waiting on them to tell me that Tampa Bay Downs meets their criteria as an "attraction", then they'll let me review it.

What in the world? I admit that as a small business I'm not too good at keeping up with my own internet presence, but Hawthorne and Tampa Bay Downs are big companies that should be able to keep up a little better than this. If you notice things that racetracks can do better, please join me in speaking up so we can all help our industry survive!

I spent a day at the races with a gambler who had never been to a racetrack!

2012-02-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

I hung out with a racetrack newbie the other day, he's a retired mailman who plays poker with my husband occasionally. He came along with a group of the poker night people. We figured he'd want to know all about handicapping, and my husband was busily picking winners and explaining why he picked each horse, etc. I directed his attention to the payoffs of the races to show how it can be lucrative to bet exactas and other exotics, but he was not particularly interested in that stuff.

He wanted to know, "Who are the people in the red coats out there, what do they do?" (outriders) Then when the starting gate was right in front of the grandstand for a 1 mile 40 race, his attention was rapt. He was fascinated by the pony guy who looked like the Marlboro man might look at age 70, and his extremely well turned out pony that looked ready for the hunter ring. He even quizzed the track vet about how she got that job and what was she looking at out there on the track during the post parade.

What do you know? Potential new racing fans don't necessarily start out by betting on races! But those who have a good EXPERIENCE at the track usually end up betting on races.

I missed a good bet the other day

2012-02-02T10:13:00.000-08:00

When I notice a race result with a young horse or possible future claim that I want to follow, I add that horse to my "stable alert" list. I use BRIS rather than Equibase for email alerts simply because I started out with BRIS a million years ago before Equibase offered the service. So the other day I got an email alert, two days out, for an entry of one of my horses in a stake race at Gulfstream and on the morning of the race I made a show bet on that 12-1 shot through my TVG account, then went on with my day doing other things.

I found out later in the day that my horse scratched out of the stake at Gulfstream and raced instead in an ALW at Tampa Bay. Unfortunately I never got the entry for the race at Tampa Bay so I didn't bet it and of course my horse won the race at 5-2 odds. So I'm pretty mad when I find out my horse was double entered and I only got the one entry notice. Why is it legal in this case to double enter? Because one of the races was a stake that required a nomination fee.

Just thought I'd mention this to let owners know they can nominate and enter for a stake, then scratch if it comes up too tough so their horse can run in an easier spot on the same day. I don't know if there are exceptions to the rule depending on the state, or other considerations.

I'd like to hear more about the rules on double entering if anyone would like to elaborate.

PBS shines a bright light on Second Stride!

2012-01-25T10:18:00.000-08:00

WSIU, the public broadcasting station of Carbondale, Illinois, featured the horse rehabilitation non-profit Second Stride in an upcoming episode of alt.news!!!

The show is edgey, engaging and creative, and the segment on Second Stride is beautifully filmed and edited. All of us associated with Second Stride are grateful for the exposure that PBS has given to the Second Stride program!

You can watch the entire alt.news episode online at http://an2646.com/featured/episode-13-03/

Our take on the John Veitch / Life At Ten mess

2012-01-16T08:08:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that the charge against Kentucky Steward John Veitch has dragged on this long without someone with authority speaking up on behalf of John Veitch. I'm afraid that a lot of people who would otherwise speak up are scared of establishment retaliation that could ruin their racing related business. From our point of view as owner and trainer involved in Kentucky thoroughbred racing for decades, it seems like either an insane vendetta by a corrupt racing commission or an attempt to divert guilt from the very high profile trainer and the racing commission appointed state veterinarian.

Those of us who race are very aware of the ultimate power of the state vet to examine and possibly scratch any horse leading up to a race, in the paddock, during the post parade, behind the gate. The AAEP (American Association of Equine Practitioners) clearly states on their web page at http://www.aaep.org/responsibilities_racetracks.htm titled "RESPONSIBILITIES OF VETERINARY OFFICIALS AT RACETRACKS" under "Pre-Race Inspection" -

An important duty for regulatory (commission or association) veterinarians is the pre-race inspection of all horses scheduled to race. This inspection is performed to determine, in the veterinarian’s professional opinion, whether a horse is able to compete.

A suggested pre-race inspection should include:
•proper identification of each horse;
•pre-race observation of each horse in motion;
•manual palpation when indicated;
•close observation in the paddock and saddling area, during the parade to post, at the starting gate, during and after the race and any other inspection deemed necessary.

Following inspection, regulatory veterinarians will recommend to the stewards or judges the scratching of any horse that, in their opinion, is physically unfit to race. The AAEP recognizes that pre-race inspection cannot prevent all racing injuries nor can it detect all pre-existing conditions. The primary responsibility for the condition of the horses entered to race rests with the trainer.

What the public doesn't realize is something I see every day with owners who are not hands on horsepeople - horses are just like human athletes in that they do have sluggish days when they are not 100% - for many different reasons. Sometimes it's just the weather, could be a touch of allergies that day, could be they didn't eat or sleep well the night before, could even be a reaction to LEGAL race day medication - some horses can get lethargic after being treated with Lasix (Salix). If the steward overrules the trainer and state vet every time a horse is reportedly acting different than their normal, he could scratch a horse in nearly every race.

Isn't there somebody in KY government with enough power to stand up to the KY Racing Commission in this matter? Governor Beshear? Republican senate leader Mitch McConnell, attorney general Jack Conway? This is the kind of scandal that is ruining Kentucky racing, and I'm just really sad about it, because the hard working horses and dedicated horse people of the racetrack do not deserve to be associated with it.

Allowance Optional Claiming races

2011-08-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

A new owner might wonder why they would want to enter a horse for a claiming tag in an Allowance Optional Claiming race, and thus offer their horse for sale via claim. The conditions of such a race allows horses to enter an allowance race that they would not otherwise qualify for, therefore giving the horse a chance at the bigger allowance size purse. The catch is that if a horse doesn't meet the allowance conditions then that horse must run for the claiming price specified by the race conditions. Here's the conditions for a recent race at Arlington Park for example:
Conditions: 6F Dirt. FOR FILLIES AND MARES THREE YEARS OLD AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE NEVER WON $8,800 ONCE OTHER THAN MAIDEN, CLAIMING, STARTER, OR STATE BRED ALLOWANCE OR HAVE NEVER WON TWO RACES OR CLAIMING PRICE $18,000. Three Year Olds, 120 lbs.; Older, 124 lbs. Non-winners of a race since July 13 Allowed 3 lbs. Claiming Price $18,000 (Races where entered for $15,000 or less not considered). Purse: $35,075

more about training day rates and what this fee covers

2011-08-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

We have talked a lot about the cost of training a thoroughbred at the race track and what expenses are covered by the "day rate" that owners pay to a trainer, per day, for each horse in training.

There seems to be two methods currently in use by trainers at major tracks in the US for billing owners. Most trainers charge a daily rate per horse that will cover expenses OTHER THAN veterinary, farrier, shipping, race day pony and hotwalker, specialized equipment (halter with nameplate, blinkers in owner's colors, etc.) and specialized therapies (massage, chiropractics, etc.)

There seems to be a growing trend with smaller trainers who charge a lower day rate but then itemize every other expense down to bandages, supplements, administrative fees (bookkeeping, accounting, other office expenses), workers compensation insurance, dorm room or tack room rental fees, stall rent when stabled at non-active tracks, etc.

If you're an owner, which deal would you rather have? One method lets owners know what to expect in their monthly invoice, but with the itemization method, not so much. A trainer who itemizes the owner's bill has to be diligent about informing an owner ahead of time about possible upcoming expenses such as stall rent (generally at least $10/day which really adds up.)

With either method of billing, trainers have to be diligent about asking owners in advance if they are willing to pay for specialized equipment, supplements or therapies, or risk being saddled with paying those expenses themselves. If you are an owner it is not advisable to sign any binding agreement with your trainer that requires you to pay all expenses related to your horse, no matter how exotic or ill advised. Any training agreement should require the trainer to inform the owner prior to unusual situations that may require unusual expense to the owner.

Owners need to consider ahead of time that their trainer may need to make a life or death decision about their horse that may lead to significant expense, such as in the case of serious injury or colic that requires surgery. Owners please discuss this possibility with your trainer so that everyone can react without delay in an emergency.

Do you know how to read a thoroughbred lip tattoo?

2011-07-21T16:22:00.000-07:00

Click here for a chart that will help you determine a thoroughbred's age from his tattoo >>

Hopefully we can eventually switch over to microchips instead of tattoos for racing thoroughbreds in the United States.

racehorsetrainers.com updated

2011-06-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

update 2011: racehorsetrainers.com has a lot of good general info for owners and has been updated in 2011, including the article with the expense breakdown for the day rate under "articles" at http://racehorsetrainers.com/wordpress/article/do-you-know-where-your-day-rate-money-goes/

Please check it out and add your listing - it's free!

Great article "How horseracing lives with the spectre of death" by Alastair Down on the Grand National web site

2011-05-04T03:51:00.000-07:00

I love this article which followed up this year's Grand National steeplechase, Mr. Down understands the love of horse racing and says it like it is. Here's two excerpts:

"Everybody loathes the death of a horse. But fatalities are just a fraction of what jump racing is about and I would be honest enough to argue that, in an increasingly sanitised, risk-denuded society, the omnipresence of danger lies at the very kernel of its appeal."

"When they make their way to Cheltenham or to Aintree it is not without trepidation of what they may see. But, taken in the round, they find something about the sight, sound and spectacle of jump racing that is spiritually uplifting and nourishing to the soul in a way that no other sport comes close to providing."

Please read the rest of this article at http://grandnational.racingpost.com/news/horse-racing/comment-how-racing-lives-with-the-spectre-of-death/840262/

What's wrong with big U.S. horseracing revisited

2011-03-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

Previously I had written a few things about why U.S. thoroughbred racing is struggling, from my own experience in the business. I also linked to an article that I thought summed up the financial side of the problem very well.

But recently another aspect of the problem that has nagged at me for years came to the forefront in my mind. The nagging part started with experiences at Churchill Downs and Gulfstream Park in the last couple years. Both places made me feel uncomfortable about just hanging out at the track for a relaxing day with friends who love horses. Reasons for being uncomfortable range from no place to sit or see horses up close, the same irritating music day after day playing too loud in the paddock, bad food, expensive drinks, I could probably think of some others.

From my point of view from the stable area, I noticed that the Derby Museum backside tour seemed to be very popular, but people are driven around in an enclosed van and not allowed to get too close to horses for liability reasons. People come to Kentucky to see the horses up close and it's a priceless public relations opportunity for the tracks. I feel like the tracks would prefer not to deal with the horses, their caretakers or even the people who come to Kentucky to see horses. This attitude will kill horseracing for good, it can not live by simulcast or casino gambling alone.

It amazes me how many people are there to adopt all the retired racehorses that we place through Second Stride (www.secondstride.org - I maintain the web site). These are people who just love horses, not gambling. These are the people who can help racing thrive and yet it's a group who are ignored by the big racetracks. Perhaps the big tracks should watch closely the progress of Meydan in Dubai (home of the Dubai Racing Carnival and Dubai World Cup) and the next big horse city in the works, Tianjin Horse City, in China. Here is a quote from a Gulf News article about Tianjin Horse City - "the Chinese especially like the Meydan business model because (like Meydan) it does not involve betting on horses."

Handicapping is fun, but gambling is just one aspect of horseracing - the success of horseracing should not completely depend on gambling. I wish the big tracks would remember that part of their potential clientele just wants to be there to watch, learn more about horses, and get close to any horses, not just racing superstars.

I'd like to hear your feedback.

How to help Japan

2011-03-15T05:57:00.000-07:00

We got a comment asking how to help Japan following the terrible earthquake and tsunami - everything you need to know is at http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html - the comment went to spam automatically but still it's a good question.

The fabulous thoroughbred breeding farms of Japan were spared damage according to the racing publications. Most are inland, Hokkaido.

owner interviews trainer

2011-02-05T11:08:00.000-08:00

Actually this was a school project that my husband Jere helped with by answering the following questions, but would be great questions for an experienced owner to ask a trainer who they may be thinking of hiring:

Can you tell whether or not horses will be successful when they are foals?

You make assessments on size and comformation - to say how successful they are going to be you need the crystal ball everybody is looking for.

What type of temperament do you prefer your horses to have?

The best is low key and not too aggressive toward people, but when the horse trains his aggressiveness comes out on the track - when training in company you want the horse to be competitive toward his opponent. Then after training he goes back to low key and not aggressive toward people - this can't be taught to the horse, it is the way he is born and is the type to look for when selecting a horse.

What running style do you find more favorable when choosing a horse to train? (front runner, stalker, late closer)

All running styles are acceptable if they win! Most people like the front runner because the horse wants to be in front from the beginning. But the stalker is probably the one I like most because they can lay 4^th -5^th and make the short move to win. The stone closer is the most difficult because he is usually last in the race most of the way. The jockey has to time a move perfectly and if there is traffic he gets in trouble, stops his momentum and his chances of winning are slim if that happens. I will admit that the closer is the most exciting to watch.

When do you begin training?

Usually November of the yearling year the horse is broke to ride on a farm or training center. He would come to the track in the spring of the following year.

Before you begin training a horse what do you look for?

Size and comformation - that is if the legs are correct, this helps them stay sound during training and racing. I also look at the head for an intelligent look in the eyes.

Is there anything special that you do while training your horses that sets them apart from the rest?

Nothing special the special horse sets himself from the others its my job to keep that special horse healthy and happy.

Do you train all of your horses the same?

I train them the same until I have to change due to injury or temperament. A trainer likes a straightforward horse with no quirks but those are rare. If I see that a horse may be getting a little sore I back off his training until he is better. With some I constantly walk a fine line between keeping them from getting sore and getting them fit enough to race. Also if a horse seems to be getting rattled because he is being asked to do more than he is comfortable with, then I take him a little slower. Every horse is different - just as all people are different.

Do you train boys and girls differently?

Yes fillies don't take as much training and they often get sour faster with hard training. But some colts (boys) thrive on hard training.

Do you prefer working with boys or girls?

I like to have a mix of both.

How do you decide what races to run your horses?

All have a class they belong in and what often separates the good trainers from the bad is finding that class for each horse, you learn this about your horse in his morning work and refine it as he starts racing. Of course it's best to place your horse correctly in appropriate races from the start, especially if there are economic considerations at stake. For this reason it's best to have a very experienced and proven trainer.

the action, the color, the fever, THE DERBY

2011-01-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

I have a real treat today, the rough draft first chapter of my husband's new book (could it be that a short story is more likely?) Your comments are welcome.

This story starts with two friends that live across from Churchill Downs. These friends would walk to the bus stop every morning and as they walked, Tom and Jere would watch the people working on the horses - wouldn't know much about what was going on but wanted to be a part. This went on til they were old enough to apply for a hot walking job, the first job most people get. The duty of a hot walker is to walk the horses after exercize, the race track lingo is coolinem out. So their 16th birthdays come, and along with the excitement of driving, they can get a license to work with the horses and learn about what they have been watching all of the year walking to school.

Tom asked Jere, how do you want to handle our first day?
Jere: I guess we do exactly like they always looked - busy.
Tom: OK. Jere asks, what time? Well we go to school about 7, that's the time. See you tomorrow.

Jere went home thinkin' this is summer vacation and I ain't gettin' up early. The boys went to bed with a lot of stored excitement. Going to the land of horse racing. They had watched it for years but didn't know what to expect. The clock went off like any other day for school.

Tom called Jere's house. Hello. Hi Mrs. Smith, is Jere up?
Mrs. Smith: Well Tom I don't know I'll go see for you. She goes to his room and finds he's still sleeping. Well Tom he's still sleeping.
Tom: Please Mrs Smith give him the phone for me.
Mrs. Smith: Ok Tom, he's not gonna like it. He likes his sleep.

Jere gets the phone from his mom and Tom exclaims, Jere, what the hell's wrong with you, we got to go to the track today!
Jere says in a sleepy voice, this is rhe first day of vacation you know, catchin' some winks.
Tom: Don't you want to learn about what goes on across the fence we walk by every day?
Jere: Yeah, I guess come on over and I'll get ready.

Tom runs out the house, down the block to get Jere's ass out the bed. All the thoughts going through his head on what to expect once they're on the inside of the fence. He knocks on the door.

Mrs. Smith comes to the door, Hey Tommy, how are you? She always called him Tommy since he was 4, the first time he had knocked.
Tom answered, yeah I'm fine. I was wondering if Jere was up yet.
Mrs. Smith: Well I haven't heard him moving in there but go and check.

Tom went back to Jere's room where Jere had hung pictures of horse racing and jockeys that were some of his favorites. Pat Day was at the top of the list and always in the top 10 in the nation in wins. Early Fires was there also - Jere liked him because he was a strong finisher, “stick jock” he would say. Tom's room was much the same, and these two would banter back and forth about horse racing for hours, boring their friends when they hung out.

Tom: Jere you not up yet? Come on man, get your ass out the bed! Don't you want to go in the gate?
Jere looks up from under his pillow that he was using to shade his eyes from the light. Well I guess I am now, Jere thought.
Tom: Well all right then, get your damn clothes on and let's go.

Its about 9 now and as they get out the door and look across the street, the two boys didn't see as much action as usual. They walked the short distance to the front gate, their hearts pounding in anticipation.

Tom says, Those guards look mean.
Jere: Yeah well let's just keep walkin' and see what happens.

Tom agrees and they proceed. There were four guards standing, talking, laughing and joking with each other.
Jere: They're not gonna notice us at all. Just a little further and we're in.

Then the bomb. Hey boys! You have a license? Jere replies, No sir, this is our first day, we want to get a summer job with the horses.

Bob the guard: You got to get someone to give you a visitor pass.
Tom: But we don't know anybody.
Bob: OK I will announce that you are here and looking for a job. Have a seat.

Jere and Tom looked at each other and thought all the years of waiting to get in the stable area, and here we sit like two vagrants caught trespassing.

Jere told Tom, You get me outta bed for this, man this is bullshit.
Tom replies, Shut up you're just lazy. We talked about this day for years and this little bump ain't gonna stop us.

By this time their voices were getting loud. Just driving in the gate was Shug McGaughey, very well known trainer, and the boys recognized him. Shug rolled down his window and asked the boys if they were looking for work. Tom was caught speechless and Jere spoke, Yes sir, our summer vacation starts today.
Shug replied, Well you guys didn't waste any time didya.

By this time Tom found his tongue and says, You are Shug McGaughey.
Shug: Well yes, how do you know me?
Tom: Me and Jere follow the races a lot and you win a lot of races.
Shug: Ohh I win my share.
Jere pipes up, We need a pass to get in, can you help us?
Shug: Yeah I'll get you in and do one better. I have room for one person. It's not easy work and the foreman don't cotton to slackers.
Tom pipes up, Well you'll want me then.
Jere gives a look at Tom, Shut up man.
Shug interrupts and says, Flip for it, and the loser doesn't have to worry. I know a guy that needs a man too. Shug sticks his head out he door and says, Hey Bob give these boys a pass. When you get your pass, go to barn 33, that's my barn, and Hank will tell you what time to be here.

Tom and Jere couldn't believe it. They were finally going inside the gate of Churchill Downs, the race track that held the most exciting two minutes in the WORLD. The guard handed them the passes and they started walking.

Jere says to Tom, Do you smell somethin?
Tom replies, Yeah, what is it?
Jere: It's horse shit man! We never smelled this from the outside. Hey Tom look, it's a goat. Wonder what they have a goat for?
Tom: Mascot maybe.
Jere: What barn is it?
Tom: Don't know, look for a number, there on the end . 5. Damn this place must be big.

They walked along not really noticing the numbers, but taking in all the new sights. Looking at the horses in their stalls. Before they knew it barn 33. There was an elderly man sitting in a chair at the other end of the shedrow.

Jere walks up, Hi is hank around?
The old dude clears his throat, Yeeaa, he's over yar on the other side getting a horse ready for the first.
Tom: Wow let's go see.
Jere: Getting ready?
Tom replies, Guess they have some sort of ritual.
Jere laughs, Yeah they got a witch doctor runnin' around chantin' or somethin'.

They both laugh loudly and Hank standing in front of the stall whistling sez roughly, What the hell is this? Keep it quiet! Tryin' to get the horse to piss, he's been in ice two hours and y'all startled him. Now he might not pee and that could cost him the race! Who the hell are you two?

So the boys closed their mouths and watched. Hank started whistling again, and the horse, after sticking his head out to take a look around, went back in the stall, walked around in a couple circles, stretched out and peed. Tom and Jere watched, amazed at how long he peed. Hank, after the horse was done, wiped his brow in a joking way and said, Boy if he didn't pee he'd have to carry all that in his race, no way he wouldda had a shot in hell to win. Now who and what do y'all want? Hank then looked over at the groom and said, Hang the bridle on him, two minutes til you go over. All right back to y'all.

Jere: Mr. McGaughey told us you have a spot for a worker.
Hank: That's right.
Tom: Well one of us is him.
Hank: You ever handle a horse?
Tom: No, never have - but I'm big and strong, and I think I can learn.

Tom and Jere were good size boys. Jere had brown hair, green eyes, about 200 lbs., and Tom was the same size with blue eyes and black hair. The girls liked both of them. Hank keeps going on, I can't have a green horn. I got to talk to the boss.

The group walks over to where the old dude was sittin'. Hank says, Duck, you seen the boss yet?
The old dude says, He just walked in the office.

Hank opens the door and said to Shug, Do I havta break in another greeny this year?
Shug: Yep, it will be good luck like last year. You said the same thang last year about the green help and I think its gonna keep you sharp.
Hank: Ahh boss I'm sharp.
Shug: I know Hank, but I want one of these young lads to work. You got a coin?
Hank replies, Yeeaa I got one. He reaches in his pocket, comes out with his lucky silver dollar. Alright who's gonna call it?
Tom: I'll call it.

Jere didn't mind, its a 50-50 shot, and Shug had said at the gate - whoever lost would have a job anyway.

cheaters

2011-01-14T06:59:00.000-08:00

No I'm not going to talk about illegal drug use in racehorses - "cheaters" are blinkers with very small or narrow cups (people unfamiliar with racing sometimes call blinkers a "hood" or "blinders"). Cheaters can be used on a horse that you want to try without blinkers without declaring "blinkers off" when entering a race. This way the trainer can get some idea if the blinkers can come off for good, and if the experiment doesn't work can still go back to regular blinkers for the horse's next race.

picking a trainer in a the new racing world

2011-01-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

I watched a special on CNBC yesterday about Ford and how the family leaders of the company have tended to get complacent about every 5 years and lose their competitive edge, thus the ups and downs that Ford has seen over the years. Successful companies have to constantly fight to stay on top of changes in technology and remain competitive. I see a lot of owners who treat their horses like a product manufactured by a corporation. I see them move their horses from trainer to trainer with the idea that trainers get complacent over time. Instead of blindly trainer-hopping, owners have to be more observant about what's going on with their horses in order to improve their stable's success.

Owners, make sure your trainer is giving your horses high quality and balanced feed, individualized feed supplementation, housing them in a clean and low dust environment, and employing experienced professional staff. After that your trainer should have eyes and hands on your horse daily or employ skilled assistants who do.

If your trainer is keeping close enough tabs on the stable's horses then high vet bills for injections, xrays, scans, etc. should be rare. It's a big warning sign if the vet stops by the barn several times a week to check for or treat lamenesses, even in a very large stable. It's also a warning sign if a trainer orders all manner of exotic treatments such as chiropractic, acupuncture, magnetic and infrared treatments, etc., especially without discussing it with the horse owner first.

In my opinion it's also a big warning sign if your horse is reset by the farrier as a matter of course on a strict schedule and before every race. Shoes and feet should be checked regularly by the trainer or qualified assistant and reset on an individualized schedule depending on condition of the feet and the horse's racing/work schedule.

Horses are not machines or products and no horse should be managed by a trainer who is unwilling or without enough experience to personally monitor each horse effectively for health, soundness and fitness. A trainer who is also a "horse whisperer" (good at re-training horses with bad habits or fears that inhibit performance) is a bonus in the new racing world.

If anyone has an interest in being an owner you must wear a top hat and monacle?

2010-11-12T14:28:00.000-08:00

I love this line from one of our posters - my answer is that the image is not that far off! Well it's definately a trend that the smaller owners and trainers just can't make it due to high expenses and low purses unless they are extremely lucky and hit it big with a good horse they acquired for a modest price. It seems to me that racing mirrors what is going on with the economy in general - either you're very wealthy or you're poor, no middle class.

Of course there are exceptions and many great partnerships around to be a part of if you want to own a racehorse, but to make it economically comfortable for most people you have to own a miniscule percentage of a horse and that is just not the same as owning a horse yourself.

This is a good time for me to share my husband's revamped web site to reflect the new reality of being an "old timer" thoroughbred racehorse trainer. He is taking a new approach to make a living off his 30 years of experience in the business. Please check out http://www.jrsmithjr.com/ and let us know what you think.

Why is horse racing in the U.S. going downhill?

2010-10-20T02:30:00.000-07:00

Check out the following article from a New York writer who sums up the issues very well - http://therail.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/reasons-for-the-decline-of-horse-racing/

Can you explain what a broodmare sire is please?

2010-09-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

The correct way to describe a horse's sire (father) and dam (mother) is to say "the horse's name" is "by the sire's name" and "out of the dam's name", then you say the dam's sire "by the dam sire's name". For example:
"Secretariat" is by "Bold Ruler" out of "Somethingroyal" by "Princequillo". So Secretariat's father is Bold Ruler, his mother is Somethingroyal and his mother's father is Princequillo.
The "dam sire" is also spoken of as a "broodmare sire" and can be an important consideration when buying or breeding a horse. See http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/thoroughbred-breeding/sire-lists/broodmare which is a ranking of broodmare sires.

Could you explain some terms?

2010-09-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

>> When I hang out with horse oriented people at the track I sometimes hear very mysterious talk. Could you explain the terms "on the bridle" and "off the bridle" ?

"On the bridle" means in general that the horse accepts the bit and the connection to the reins and hands. In the case of a racehorse you can tell that there is a strong connection from the hands/reins to the bit and the horse because the horse wants to go on and run but is listening to the rider and the rider can feel the energy under him or her. When a racehorse is "off the bridle" he is not carrying himself with any energy, it feels to the rider like the horse wants to quit rather than race on, and there's no feeling of connection from the rider's hands to the horse's mouth so the rider may say "he spit the bit".

It's possible for a horse to rush from the gate and get his head up and ignore the rider. In this case he is not "on the bridle", he is "running off". Anyone who has ever been "run off with" know how terrible it feels because the horse is totally ignoring the rider, so this condition can't be called "on the bridle". In fact after the horse tires himself out, he will often "stop"- and this is a little different than "off the bridle".

As an aside, "off the bridle" to me is a european term. "He spit the bit" is an american old timer's term, maybe something Woody Stephens would have said.

well no, it's not possible, not right now.

2010-07-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

A while back I asked an apparently rhetorical question (nobody answered) about whether it would be possible for 2 veteran horse racing professionals to disappear from the business for 5 years and then return to start a new racing stable from scratch in the US. We tried to do it starting April 2009 and we gave up about 1 year later. Even with the advantage of our own investment startup money, we were not able to sustain the business, also despite our previous 30 years of experience, contacts, former successful investors, early success with a small stable, all new technology to help attract and retain clients, in short every possible advantage. So what was the problem? I will try to summarize:

1. race purses are not high enough to sufficiently offset the costs of racing, shipping, routine veterinary work, feed and payroll. You might be OK if you always finish 1st or 2nd with every horse or if every horse has an owner willing and able to pay $75/day toward the maintainence of each horse. In order to get started we had to own a few horses or take half ownership of client horses, and we had too many 2nds with those horses. So in a race with a $10,000 purse, we had too many finish 2nd for a 20% share or $2000 instead of a winner's 60% share or $6000. A 2nd place finisher earning $2000 only covered his own expenses for 1 month. If that horse needed 2 months between races, we are in the hole if we own him. We had 7 wins, 10 seconds, 4 thirds during the year - if 2 or 3 of those 2nd placers had won we might have broken even most of the year.

2. we were unable to recruit an owner willing to send us a horse and pay $75/day toward his care. It was our experience that for owners to be willing to take a chance on our start-up (even if they were our former clients in years past), they required a significant discount on day rate, generally $55-$65 was the day rate they would pay. It was our experience racing in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Florida that this rate will not allow a trainer to break even on shipping, feed, payroll and the cost of rental housing while traveling - especially if too many horses finish 2nd instead of 1st.

I think this is part of the reason for the trend toward the mega-stables, the old "economy of scale" rule. These stables have enough cash flow to keep the whole machine running even if some owners get behind on monthly invoices. A small start-up can't carry owners who get behind because they must have enough cash on hand to make payroll and to buy feed. Unfortunately in a mega-stable, the individual horse is often lost in a crowd.

3. we were unable to organize partnerships of 2-5 investors to claim horses. This may have been due to the state of the economy in 2009 and 2010, because we had 8-10 investors interested who backed out when it came time to deposit several thousand $ with the track bookkeeper. Most people said the timing was bad. If we could show them something about the investment to help them see it as a way to help their business with networking opportunities, then things might have been different.

A private club for owners at the track would work wonders - most tracks offer trainers some options to give owners access to a jockey club suite or dining room reservations when they have a horse "in", but these are very ineffective for attracting new owners. The track needs to have a big room with easy access to paddock and winners circle for elderly owners or those who can't deal with crowds, food and drink in a chic atmosphere, and only open to licensed owners with 5% or more share of a horse and licensed trainers - and no additional membership fee - essentially an upscale "horsemen's lounge". One reason tracks don't do this is because they don't know who the owners are - the corporate office, the racing office and the bookkeeper don't share owner and trainer data. An owner has to go through a time consuming and expensive process just to get licensed, giving all their personal data to the state's racing commission, including percent ownership and home address, yet when you call the bookkeeper to get a check from your account they have no idea what your address is? The "front side" (corporate) and the "back side" (horsemen) of the tracks don't usually work well together if at all and that's a shame.

4. synthetic tracks were a big, major problem for us. If you have a horse that has never run on a synthetic track before, but the only available race when he is ready to run is on synthetic then it's a huge gamble to try him on it. A small stable can't afford to gamble like this but we felt we had to do it, and in every case we lost the gamble either due to a very consistent dirt or grass horse not handling the polytrack at all, or due to injuries on polytrack. If you don't have an owner to pay the upkeep, the only way for the horse to support himself is to race. If the horse doesn't like synthetic, you have to ship to the dirt or turf race and that costs money that the owner is gambling to recoup in the race. Shipping is very expensive. So you end up gambling on the shipping expense or gambling on the surface, neither is sound business.

We had 3 injuries all year, all on polytrack, one during a race at Keeneland which was a race career ending suspensory (we gave him away so we took a huge loss, but he is now a show horse so that's a bright spot, see his recent photo taken January 2011 at right), one during training at Keeneland which was a hind pastern fracture requiring 3 months rest, and one front tendon in a race at Arlington in which our horse finished 2nd (we sold her at a $10k loss).

So we plan to return to Saudi Arabia to train for a single owner with 20-30 horses. Racing thrives there due to infusion of money from wealthy owners and businesses who want to promote their products and services to racing fans while networking with other individuals and businesses who have the same interests. I'll continue to look for ways for everybody in the business to be more successful, and I'll let you know how it goes.

Is it impossible to start a new public race training stable in 2010?

2010-01-21T08:38:00.000-08:00

Jere and I have been back in the United States since April 2009. After being out of the country for so many years we knew it would be tough to get a racing stable started again, but we felt we did a good job of keeping in touch with former and potential new clients while we were gone, and we had a little money in savings to invest in the start-up. Now it's January 2010 and although we're still in business, we're just barely able to pay business expenses and we haven't added many new horses to our roster. Although the most prominent stables charge a minimum of $75/day per horse, we are finding that about $65/day is what the majority of owners are willing to pay. For more about the costs associated with racing, see http://racehorsetrainers.com/dayrates.htm - this is several years out of date, so keep in mind that costs have risen since then.

We are stabled at Gulfstream Park for the winter and it's been challenging due to the very high expense for hay and bedding that must be shipped to south florida from northern states, plus the unexpected flooding of the barn area in December. Despite this it's been an overall good experience so far. The racetrack has drawn a huge crowd every race day, and the dirt and turf courses are in excellent shape.

We have a photo gallery in Jere's web site that's labeled "kentucky gallery" but I'm adding the photos from Florida there as well. I also started a YouTube channel and I'll be adding videos about our racing experiences here at Gulfstream soon. You can click on the link to our YouTube channel from Jere's web site at http://www.jrsmithjr.com/ - please visit the site and send us an email or give Jere a call anytime.

If you are an owner, trainer or other industry professional we invite your comments about the current economics of the racing business.

Changes in racing since 2006

2008-06-13T00:04:00.000-07:00

So much has happened since I created this blog in 2006 that I felt I should ask everyone to share their views of how racing has changed in the US in the last couple years.

I can think of several areas of the business that have changed drastically,

1. costs have gone way up for nearly everything - feed, fuel, labor.

2. medication rules, track surfaces, public attention to catastrophic injuries.

3. globalization - influence of Sheik Mohammed of Dubai for instance, US horses traveling abroad to race, and import/export of racing stock to/from the US.

4. racehorse retirement - closing of slaughterhouses in the US has focused attention on this subject.

5. addition of casino style gambling at many US tracks.

I was reading some of the old posts about the cost of owning a racehorse and I wanted to say that from 2006-2008 the costs have all certainly gone up. A $75/day rate for training doesn't seem as high as it did a couple years ago, due to the dramatic increase in the cost of doing business.

women jockeys

2006-10-16T07:19:00.000-07:00

? Why aren't there more women jockeys?

Women jockeys don't seem to last very long at the top levels, Julie Krone is the last one that I remember and she is now retired, but there are a few around, mostly at smaller tracks. It's still a man's world at the track, you have to be a tough woman to make it in any job around the racetrack, and a woman jockey has to be tough as nails.

What I notice about women riders is that since they can't and wouldn't be inclined to try to use muscle to get a horse to do what they want, they find a way to control horses with finesse instead. I think this makes for a better racehorse and usually also a more physically sound racehorse, because the horses don't use the wrong energy fighting their rider. There are many female exercise riders, at least in Kentucky. Being an exercise rider is still a hard life though for a man or a woman.