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It never ceases to amaze me how some industry participants have no idea what the costs of racing a horse are.  Nor the fact that they will pick their most expensive bill for the year and promote it as the average cost. I've seen a number of syndication contracts from a number of syndicators and the majority of them make it quite clear what the expected cost will be.  No surprises.  Some even make it clear that the odds are heavily in favour of your investment being a loss making one.  Particullarly if you buy into a stallion making syndicate where the odds are that your investment is going to lose its prime money making parts.  Fillies are a little different because they will have some residual value if well bred and they perform even moderately on the track. So if you buy into a syndicate you know what you are buying into.  Especially those that buy again!  Essentially you are rolling the dice that you are going to get a good horse and when you do get lucky for a time you have a fantastic experience albeit with often extreme highs and sometimes lows.  Horses are like that.  The point is it is all transparent and you bought into it.  Why complain afterwards? I've had a number of people ask me about buying a share in a horse.  My advice has been don't spend your life savings and kiss the money goodbye from the get go.  Don't get envious of successful owners or Syndicators, Trainers and Jockeys who are making money.  The latter it is their livelihood.  BUT if you are lucky to get a good one enjoy every aspect of the ride because the odds of getting another as good are very very small.  Which brings me back to that most expensive bill of the year.  It could include a vet bill - horses are live animals and sometimes they do stupid things or they have issues that require attention.  It could include an insurance bill or a large nomination fee for a big race.  If the bill includes these last two costs then you are in an elite group.  One your horse is worth insuring and two you are good enough to be in a Black Type race.  So for example if your horse is in full training and in the top drawer of horses then in that month you have $6k in training and other costs, a $1,500 big race nomination fee and an insurance cost.  The latter will be the biggest expense as the insurance fee is worked out at 3.5% of the horses valuation.  So lets say the filly was valued at $400k then your total bill will be $22k for the month ($14,500 for insurance).  But the smart owner has spread their risk and bought into a number of horses at 2.5%. So for this filly they are paying $550 for the month.  The odds are that in this scenario you are in credit anyway given the big race nomination and the insurance valuation. . @nomates @Joe Bloggs @Comic Dog .

The Maryland Thoroughbred Industry Renaissance Awards will be presented during a March 22 luncheon at Laurel Park.View the full article

you gentlemen don't realize the costs involved in maintaining a racing industry these days . The ATC has done well to keep trading while in debt with the failure to raise capital from the disastrous Apartments project that failed due to the building company declaring Bankrupcy. Instead of feeling compassion for your 'fellow' Harness racing supporters that make up the ATC , it's sink the boot in and scoff at their predicament all the time.  Victoria (HRV)  managed to bail out of their losses for the moment. The Australian Turf Club , in the much more popular Thoroughbred industry has debts of $145,000,000 and are unable to pay back the bank loan of $30 mill due this year. They even tried to sell Rosehill Gardens track for $5 Billion to the state Government, to support themselves well into the future . Members voted against the sale in the end. I think an administrator is going to be appointed  In a nut-shell , you can see that running a racing/harness club is Not a Prosperous Enterprise these days.  Why pick on someone and people TRYING TO KEEP Your sport going in Difficult times ?? Jump in and help with some ideas. Brodie says get young people involved, Galah says create a training/racing establishment with barns and stables and training facilities to lease to the young trainers who don't Have property of their own.  2  top ideas that can be expanded on and implemented . and probably will be in the future too as no choice really , Example =  like what Menangle did 2010 (shifting out of Harold Park in the city and funding themselves and setting up well)  ATC may have to do this too?. ( *and help the young participants simultaneously with training facility)   

The Saffie Joseph Jr-trained White Abarrio (Race Day) will ship to Oaklawn to target the GII Oaklawn Handicap April 18, his trainer said Wednesday. Detailing next starts for his stable stars, Joseph said, “White Abarrio is going to come for the Oaklawn Handicap. That's the plan. Dubai is still in play for Skippy, but we haven't come up with a plan yet.” Last seen finishing runner-up to stablemate Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) in the GI Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park last month, White Abarrio also owns a win in the 2023 GI Breeders' Cup Classic. While the race is still two months away, last year's Champion 3-year-old and Horse of the Year Sovereignty (Into Mischief) is also possible for the Oaklawn Handicap. The post White Abarrio To Target Oaklawn Handicap appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

my take  is,no one in power at the atc or hrnz or the media want to talk about the atc anymore.They would rather ignore it. Everyone knows its a joke. everyone knows hrnz policy towards the atc will hurt nz harness racing everywhwere in years to come,especially auckland. I think mr steele,when last asked about the atc,put his fingers in his ears and starting cheerfully singing.

Really pleased to see 2 good blokes with small teams have a day out at Riccarton yesterday. Jamie Bullard, who i would say had his whole team in yesterday and ended up with 3 wins and a placing and Danny Crozier has 1 in for a win. They were both top riders and are doing an excellent job with their small teams. I watched Danny getting a post-race interview with Brittany, and you would have believed he was back in Ballarat with his Aussie accent, and I am not sure why he was licking his lips throughout the interview. Interesting that Murray Hamilton has shares in 2 of Jamie's winners. He was the person that 2 RIU investigators, when hiding in trees, observed him either putting a saddle or a rug on a horse, when he was disqualified. Good to see him having some luck and long may it continue

Does anyone know whether there is any interest in the sale of Franklin track? If not what is going to happen with the ATC, as without that sale then ATC will end up in liquidation  you would think? Not sure of exact figures of amount of their debt but was it approx $80million? If so then the debt will be increasing by approx 5 million per year from interest costs which is crippling. How is going to be able to continue like this as costs escalating with interest on interest?  

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has called a March 11 board panel hearing to address what it says is Churchill Downs Incorporated's refusal to pay millions of dollars of required assessments from four of its tracks.View the full article

Samuel Marin's total of 13 wins for the week included a stakes race victory.View the full article