Wandering Eyes

End of rocky road for Bencoolen View the full article

Track conditions and course scratchings August 2 View the full article

Horses' body weights August 2 View the full article

Early scratching August 2 View the full article

As the second leg of the initial series approaches, NYRA's Turf Trinity has proven to be an effective lure for horsemen eager to take home part of the combined $3 million up for grabs for 3-year-olds in the three turf stakes. View the full article

Ellis Park will serve up five turf stakes, each with purses of $100,000, in its Aug. 4 Kentucky Downs Preview day. View the full article

UK Horse of the Year, Roaring Lion underwent a second colic surgery at the Cambridge Equine Veterinary Hospital on Thursday morning. Roaring Lion had been making positive progress since his initial surgery last Saturday but began to show symptoms of discomfort overnight. The symptoms were evaluated by the Cambridge Equine Hospital team with some international consultation and the decision was made to return to the operating table. There were two adhesions from the first operation compromising... View the full article

Horowhenua horseman Chris Rutten is taking a patient approach with the return of Group Two winner Scott Base, with the son of Dalghar recovering from an operation earlier this year. “He’s had an operation where he had a bone chip taken out in January,” Rutten said. “It has taken him quite a bit (of time), we just wanted to give him the time he needed to recover from that properly. “Dave Keenan (vet) did the operation. He is on the water-walker at the moment for about a month. We will... View the full article

King Zachary patiently stayed off the pace and took over in the final turn in breaking a track record that stood for almost 91 years in an 8 1/2-length victory in Thursday's $100,000 Birdstone for 3-year-olds and up at Saratoga Race Course. View the full article

Imperial Racing's Plus Que Parfait is best known for his victory in the Group II UAE Derby, which landed him a berth in a Grade I Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. View the full article

The New York Racing Association Inc. will welcome a dozen of the sport's top jockeys back to Saratoga Race Course for the sixth annual Jockey Legends Day, presented by Fasig-Tipton, Sunday, August 4. View the full article

Emily Farr could be in for one of her biggest days in racing on Sunday when she partners in-form jumper Gobstopper in the Grand National Hurdle (4200m) at Sandown. It has been a rapid rise for the 2017 Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winner, who is undefeated in his two starts over hurdles, including a last-start victory in the Brendan Dreschler Hurdle (3500m) at Pakenham. It took plenty of perseverance on Farr’s part to convince trainer Andrew Campbell to follow a jumps path this winter with the... View the full article

The 67th Annual Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing, held at the Gideon Putnam Resort in Saratoga Springs, New York Aug. 11, will feature international perspectives as well as communications strategies in times of crisis, The Jockey Club announced on Thursday. The Jockey Club Chairman Stuart Janney, III will preside over the conference, which begins at 10 a.m. EST and will be aired on TVG2, www.tvg.com and live streamed on www.jockeyclub.com. A Q&A session with Arrowfield Stud’s John Messara will be conducted by The Jockey Club’s President and Chief Operating Officer James Gagliano. Hong Kong Jockey Club Chief Stipendiary Steward Kim Kelly will discuss category 1 interference policies and general stewarding practices in Hong Kong. Among the other speakers are Fox Sports Executive Vice-President of Research, League Operations and Strategy, Mike Mulvihill, who will speak on his organization’s television coverage of the sport and the strategies they employ for addressing legalized sports betting; Monmouth Park Vice-President of Business Operations Bill Knauf will cover Monmouth’s embrace of sports betting; while Xenophon Strategies President and COO David Fuscus will speak on how the Thoroughbred industry should react in times of crisis. For the full conference schedule, go to www.jockeyclub.com. The post Jockey Club Round Table to Feature International Perspectives appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Rick Hammerle, among horse racing’s most respected and innovative officials; popular New England sportscaster and former NBC racing analyst Bob Neumeier, and jockey Aaron Gryder are joining the team at Kentucky Downs. Hammerle will serve as Kentucky Downs’ director of horsemen’s relations and racing operations, working closely with racing secretary Tyler Picklesimer and senior vice president and general manager Ted Nicholson. Hammerle spent the past 16 years directing Santa Anita’s racing program as racing secretary. “I’m a utility man; I’ll do whatever they need,” said Hammerle, who recently was also hired to be racing coordinator at Oaklawn Park’s winter and spring meet. “I worked in California, obviously, and I’ve been in New Jersey, the East Coast and Florida. But the Midwest is new to me. And you know what? I love it. Because I’m going to meet some new people. I’m really excited to come out there. Whatever Tyler and Ted need, I’m in.” Neumeier will be the guest paddock analyst along with Caton Bredar. Gryder will join Bredar doing on-air analysis when he is not riding. The post Hammerle, Neumeier, Gryder Join Kentucky Downs Team appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With victories in his past four two-turn turf starts, including back-to-back stakes this spring at Santa Anita Park, Neptune's Storm brings plenty of momentum into his graded stakes debut in the $150,000 La Jolla Handicap (G3T) Aug. 4 at Del Mar. View the full article

Hawthorne Race Course will not run a spring Thoroughbred meet in 2020 because the afternoon races will conflict with the large-scale reconstruction of the track’s grandstand and clubhouse that will transform the plant into a racino. Earlier this summer, Illinois legalized slot machines, table games and sports betting at the state’s commercial pari-mutuel tracks. The Blood-Horse first broke the story on Thursday, but TDN obtained additional details about the project from both Hawthorne and Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (ITHA) officials. “The beginning of the construction is going to be in January, and there’s too much loud work that has to be done on the outside and the inside in terms of cutting steel and those types of things,” said Tim Carey, Hawthorne’s president and general manager. “It’s a one-off, one-time event, and we have every indication of being up and running [Thoroughbreds] from October through December. “We have 400,000 square feet under roof, so we are going to gut the whole building,” Carey continued. “There are going to be 1,200 full gaming positions, as well as a poker room, a 10,000 square foot sports book, and we’re going to re-do and re-design the racing [areas].” Hawthorne’s night harness racing dates during the construction period will not be disturbed, Carey said, because the day’s work will be completed before the evening cards start. “The horsemen’s perspective is one of recognition that this is what has to be done in order for the sport to get better in Illinois,” said David McCaffrey, the ITHA’s executive director. “So we’re looking at it in a way of short-term pain, long-term gain. “Make no mistake, this is going to create a hardship for all sorts of trainers, grooms and backstretch workers,” McCaffrey continued. “We’re going to bite the bullet, but it’s the medicine that we have to take to get better.” McCaffrey said it was “good news” that Hawthorne has offered to keep backstretch housing open to Thoroughbred licensees during the construction period, because Illinois is one of the few states that allows families to live on racetrack backstretches. Being able to stay at Hawthorne now means some families won’t have to take their children out of the local school district in the middle of the year. And Hawthorne will offer modified stabling to some Thoroughbred outfits. “Even though we have harness racing at that time, some of [the Thoroughbred outfits] will be able to stay,” Carey said. “We have some bigger barns where they can stay, but [instead of training on the track] they walk or jog their horses a little bit instead of going to a farm or something like that.” McCaffrey said the ITHA would “encourage Arlington to open their backstretch as soon as possible” for the 2020 meet that is scheduled to start Apr. 27. “With no [racing] surface here in Chicago essentially from December until May, I’m positive that they’re going to come to the realization to open as soon as possible to protect their meet,” McCaffrey said. And what about the prospect of Arlington—which has a synthetic racing surface—racing earlier in the year to fill the six-month gap in the Illinois calendar? Did that topic come up in planning discussions? Carey said it did, but that it won’t happen. “We have a dates agreement with Arlington and the horsemen, so there’s no chance of that,” Carey said. McCaffrey said that if those discussions did happen, the ITHA wasn’t in on them. “Listen, we’re a horsemen’s association, and we’re made to feel like it,” McCaffrey said. “Arlington never called us before the deadline of [Wednesday] and Hawthorne called us [Wednesday]. So we had no input. “In a perfect world, it would seem to me that racetracks and horsemen’s associations would sit in a room and try to make each other’s lives easier,” McCaffrey continued. “But it doesn’t happen. I’m not saying we had any legal requirements to be included. It would just be idyllic if that happened. [Not being included in advance planning discussions] disappoints me, but it doesn’t surprise me.” McCaffrey was asked how many outfits he expects will leave to race elsewhere instead of hunkering down to wait it out while Hawthorne rebuilds. “To the extent that a certain percentage leaves, practically every one of them will intend to come back,” McCaffrey said. “An Illinois trainer who’s waited for this moment for 10 years is not going to move out of the state permanently because of a three-month hardship.” The post Hawthorne Won’t Race 2020 Spring Meet to Allow for Racino Construction appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

7th-Laurel, $46,000, Msw, 8-1, 3yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:23.95, ft. ARRIFANA (f, 3, Curlin–Vaulcluse {SW}, by A.P. Indy) entered this unveiling with a very upbeat worktab over the Fair Hill all weather, and was backed down to 17-10 favoritism facing a field of foes who had mostly had their fair share of chances. Breaking a bit outwardly from her wide draw, the bay dropped back to sit second last while always well off the inside. She began to pick off foes into a :46.84 half, briefly seemed to idle, but found another gear while advancing rapidly out wide into the stretch. Nobody could muster any kind of serious response to Arrifana from there, and she galloped home as she pleased to cruise home 10 lengths the best. Hunting Season (Pioneerof the Nile) completed the exacta. The winner is half to Lukes Alley (Flower Alley), Ch. Older Horse-Can, GISW, $795,122, and fillies by Empire Maker born in 2018 and 2019. Dam Vaulcluse, a track record breaker going an extended mile on the Tampa dirt in her third win from as many starts, was purchased for $600,000 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton November sale in foal to Lookin At Lucky. She was bred to War Front this season. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $22,800. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. O/B-Gunpowder Farms LLC (KY); T-Kelly Rubley. The post Curlin Filly Cruises to Impressive First-Out Tally in Maryland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) farm at the Wallkill Correctional Facility recently celebrated its 35th anniversary. The perennial partnership sealed in 1983 paved the way for off-track Thoroughbreds as therapeutic learning partners for all people but most notably for men and women who have suffered PTSD, have substance abuse issues, anger management problems and many other issues that might land a person in prison. Pasture sound-only Thoroughbreds find sanctuary and a critically important career in the TRF’s renowned program. Older horses are respected and revered for their lives and contributions to the program. The program teaches advanced horse care as well as empathy, life-skills, communications skills and the importance of humane treatment of animals. Farm Manager James Tremper retired in 2018 after 35 years. Filling his boots was not going to be easy. Kelsey Kober took on the challenge and she has found success in all aspects. Diana Pikulski caught up with Kober to talk about her first year on the job. DP: Did you grow up in this area and around horses? KK: I grew up here in the Hudson Valley and I started riding horses at age seven. That is when I started taking riding lessons. DP: Are off-track Thoroughbreds new to you? KK: Off-the-track Thoroughbreds are not new to me. My first exposure to them was at the farm where I rode as a kid in Gardiner, NY. In addition to having off-track Thoroughbreds, they broke and trained Thoroughbred racehorses. I used to love riding in the outdoor area and watching the racehorses being ponied and warmed-up for training. DP: Did you have a background in corrections before coming on board at Wallkill? KK: I am the third generation of my family to work in corrections. My nana worked 17 years for the department and my father currently has 31 years with the department. I started my career in corrections by volunteering for two and half years before joining the department. So, corrections has always been a part of my life. DP: What is your favorite part of the day on the TRF farm? KK: My favorite part of my day is being able to work and be around 51 beautiful horses day in and day out. I love to go to the top of the farm and look over the farm and see the mountains and the horses grazing so peacefully. I am truly blessed to be a part of such a wonderful program. DP: Is there anything that surprises you about the relationship between the men and the horses? KK: I am still surprised by the depth of the stabilizing effect that the horses have on the men. The horses are such gentle creatures and you see how they allow the men to let down their ‘wall’. It is interesting to see how some men are more able than others to let go of their emotional blocks. I love seeing how much the therapeutic aspect of the training can affect the men and the work they do with the horses on a daily basis. DP: What changes have you made at the farm since coming on full time? KK: I’ve made a few small changes to the program. I switched over to a local feed company, Poulin Grain, and we found a balanced grain that works with our climate in the Hudson Valley and it seems better suited for our horses. I received a wonderful donation of a new run-in-shed to be able to make another field available for four more horses to call home. I also have been working in conjunction with the TRF’s farm in Saratoga to promote adoptions. Last year four horses from Wallkill served as ambassadors in Saratoga and found adoptive families which was extremely exciting for me. DP: Tell me about a typical day for the men at TRF Wallkill. KK: A typical summer day at Wallkill starts with the men feeding all the horses and cleaning and refilling water troughs. We also do a small practical lesson every day which be wound treatment, or haltering and leading a horse. Then, we move on to either unloading hay or mowing the grass. This is in addition to the more regimented curriculum. DP: The herd is aging. Is there a special lesson for the men in caring for the older horses? KK: I have two men that work with what we call our old timers paddock. The two men that care for this field are usually men that have been in the program the longest or have horse experience. These horses are on special diets and they need to be watched carefully especially when eating. The men are able to learn the how the horses’ nutritional needs change as they age and the importance of adjusting our regiments to suit their needs. DP: I know that all of the horses are special in their own way. But, is there one who you would like to bring to the attention of the Thoroughbred racing industry as representative of the specialness of the breed? KK: All of the horses at Wallkill hold a special place in my heart. Each and every one of them has their own personality and quirks to them which makes it even more special. I have had the opportunity to connect with so many of my horses on the farm that is extremely hard to just pick one. I would like to talk about Quick Call who turned 35 in February. He is still doing a fantastic job living his best life. He comes in everyday to eat and trots right out for a drink after eating. He is a big napper which sometimes makes us nervous. Quick Call definitely gets some extra attention around Wallkill with being the oldest horse and doing so well in his racing career (earned $807,817 in 86 starts). I have told others in the past that I believe the reason he has done so well in his life is all the love and attention he receives. The farrier was in recently and expressed to me that Quick Call’s joints are still as if he was a 20 year old which I believe to be impressive. For more information about the TRF, go to www.trfinc.org or call 518-226-0028. Diana Pikulski is the editor of the Thoroughbred Adoption Network. The post Q&A with Kelsey Kober, TRF Wallkill’s New Manager appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Whitney Stakes (G1) is part of the "Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In—Presented by America's Best Racing," broadcast schedule. View the full article

Tears will give away to cheers of appreciation as Marylou Whitney will be celebrated for a lifetime in which she touched the lives of a multitude of people in an unforgettable manner. View the full article

The New York Racing Association, Inc. will welcome a dozen of the sport’s top jockeys back to Saratoga Race Course for the sixth annual Jockey Legends Day, presented by Fasig-Tipton, Sunday, August 4. Top riders scheduled to attend include Angel Cordero, Jr., Robbie Davis, Ramon Dominguez, David Erb, Earlie Fires, Sandy Hawley, Richard Migliore, Laffit Pincay, Jr., Nick Santagata, Jose Santos, Gary Stevens and Jorge Velasquez. The riders will be honored with a special video tribute and ceremony in the winner’s circle following races four, five and six. The legendary jockeys will also participate in a special autograph session from noon to 1 p.m. at the Jockey Silks Room Porch. Autographs will be available with a suggested donation to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys’ Fund. Jockey Legends Day is part of the Fasig-Tipton Festival of Racing, which celebrates the rich partnership between NYRA and Fasig-Tipton as a prelude to Fasig-Tipton’s annual Saratoga sales at the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion. The post Jockey Legends Day, Presented by Fasig-Tipton, Returns to Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

5th-Laurel, $40,000, Msw, 8-1, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:03.21, fm. KING OF EGYPT (c, 2, American Pharoah–Prof. McGonagall, by Storm Cat), hailing from a productive turf family and looking to become the seventh winner for his Triple Crown-winning freshman sire (by Pioneerof the Nile), dueled and drew off as a 5-1 shot Thursday. Chasing favored fellow firster Chapalu (Flatter) from the two path with another foe perched to his outside, the bay poked a head in front at the head of the lane and edged clear under confident handling late to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths. King of Egypt is a half to It’s Tea Time (Dynaformer), GSW & GISP, $470,226; and to Ultra Brat (Uncle Mo), MGSW & GISP, $478,299. A daughter of GISW Rootentootenwooten (Diesis {GB}), dam Prof. McGonagall has a yearling colt by Uncle Mo and a foal colt by Munnings. She most recently visited Candy Ride (Arg). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $22,800. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. O-Alex G. Campbell, Jr.; B-Alex G. Campbell, Jr. Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-H. Graham Motion. The post Another Winner for American Pharoah at Laurel appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Empire 6, a jackpot-style multi-race wager replacing the traditional Pick 6, will be launched at Saratoga by The New York Racing Association, Inc. Featuring a $0.20 bet minimum and 20% takeout, the Empire 6 will be added to the wagering menu beginning Wednesday, Aug. 7 and continue through the remainder of the 2019 meet at the Spa. If one unique ticket exists, then 100% of the net pool, plus the jackpot carryover if applicable, will be paid to the winner. If there is no unique wager selecting the first-place finisher in all six races, then 75% of the day’s net pool will be distributed to those who selected the first-place finisher in the greatest number of races. The remainder will be added into the jackpot and carried to the next day’s Empire 6. The Empire 6 will offer mandatory payout days Sunday, Aug. 18 and Monday, Sept. 2, closing day at the Spa. “The Empire 6 provides the potential for large payouts with small bets. That makes it attractive to the everyday horseplayer,” said Tony Allevato, President of NYRA Bets. “Bettors have gravitated to this style of wager and we are pleased to be able to offer it at Saratoga along with the benefit of two mandatory payout days during the meet.” The existing NYRA Pick 6 wager will conclude with a mandatory payout on Saratoga Derby Day, Sunday, Aug. 4. The post NYRA to Launch Empire 6 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today’s Observations features a half-sister to MG1SW Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). 5.20 Deauville, Mdn, €27,000, 2yo, f, 7 1/2fT BIONIC WOMAN (IRE) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) is a full-sister to the G3 Killavullan S. winner and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas third Blue de Vega (Ger) who cost Godolphin 800,000gns at the Tattersalls October Book 1 Sale. Andre Fabre introduces the bay who encounters another newcomer in Jam and Mam (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), Ecurie Amazingteam’s half-sister to the G1 Prix de Diane winner Channel (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) who races for Henri-Francois Devin. 5.45 Galway, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, 7fT ALPINE STAR (IRE) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) attempts to build on an encouraging debut third in that Leopardstown maiden in which the G3 Silver Flash S. winner Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and G3 Anglesey S. third Soul Search (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) were in front and Tuesday’s scorer Petite Mustique (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was behind. The Niarchos Family’s half-sister to the outstanding fellow Jessie Harrington-trained four-times Group 1 winner Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) sets a decent standard in this median auction maiden. The post Observations: Aug. 2, 2019 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Michael Behrens has very suddenly–and a bit unexpectedly, he admits–found himself in a position to be buying a significant amount of bloodstock. Behrens is the co-founder of MyRacehorse, the micro-shares syndicate that acquires partnership interests in racehorses then slices those assets into far smaller investment opportunities that generally cost below $400 per share and usually equate to one-tenth of one percent of ownership in a race-ready horse, all training costs included. The firm barely existed a year ago and only bought its first 2-year-old at auction this March. Yet Behrens told TDN a recent strategy switch from building a crowdfunded stable with mid-caliber stock to assembling a more elite equine portfolio with six-figure-valued horses has been so well received by individual investors that MyRacehorse now projects to triple its current roster of 35 micro-partnerships by acquiring interests in 100 total horses over the next year. “It took awhile to catch on,” Behrens said. “I think people were being cautiously optimistic to see if we could deliver what we promised on the micro-share platform. When we first started, we were buying horses valued on average around $30,000. Then halfway through our pilot, we started increasing it to $100,000, and we got more and more positive feedback. As we kept increasing quality, we saw that our growth and quality were perfectly correlated. “Consumers said that it was exciting to be part of horses for such a low level. But we heard over and over the idea of potentially having the ‘Big Horse’ is what they really wanted to be a part of,” Behrens continued. “And the fact that we are able to break these types of horse investments down into micro-percentages, it gives people access to what was once inaccessible. “So we said, ‘Let’s just go big. Let’s really get into the top end and see if that continues.” At this point in MyRacehorse’s career arc, “top end” equates to the 2-year-old Wayne O (Into Mischief), a $750,000 FTSAUG purchase that the syndicate bought a 60% interest in from Spendthrift Farm earlier this summer. The colt, a half-brother to GISW Restless Rider (Distorted Humor), debuts in a Saturday maiden special weight at Saratoga for trainer Steve Asmussen. Here’s an example of the demand that is driving MyRacehorse toward more expensive bloodstock: On July 25, when shares of Wayne O first became available for purchase on the MyRacehorse app ($95 for a hundredth of one percent of ownership, which includes a separate $600 per-share bonus if the horse ever wins a Grade I), individual investors purchased $103,000 worth of Wayne O shares in the first 30 minutes. The new investor limit was reached within four days, selling out all of the colt’s micro-shares. “Even a couple of weeks ago, I had no clue we were going to start getting involved with $700,000 and $800,000 purchases like Wayne O and the next deal I’m working on,” Behrens said. “But we’re now intending to spend about 75% of our budget on higher-end 2-year-olds.” To get a detailed sense of how MyRacehorse works, check out TDN’s original article on the company from June 2018. There have been a few minor pricing and protocol tweaks, but those changes have been updated on the company’s FAQ page. Behrens (a marketing executive who’s developed direct-to-consumer strategies for both start-ups and Fortune 500 companies) and co-founder David Kandasamy (a technology specialist who worked as a product development executive at Netscape, AOL, and Yahoo) spent the year before the firm’s launch grinding away at legal due diligence to make sure the offerings on MyRacehorse were in compliance with securities laws. After operating for the first year as a pilot program in which only California residents could purchase micro-shares, on July 14 MyRacehorse received Securities and Exchange Commission permission to begin accepting investments from 43 states (Texas, Nevada, Arizona, Alabama, Nebraska, Florida and Washington are the holdouts, but the firm expects several of those will be available soon). “A few weeks ago we exited being available in California only, and this past Saturday alone we had 100 new people become owners in one day,” Behrens said. “Business has just been crazy-phenomenal in terms of word of mouth. “As new owners enjoy the experience, they’re sharing it with others,” Behrens continued. “How fast people are adopting the micro-shares platform is amazing. It doesn’t take a lot of people. It’s the power of the crowd. People are starting to take notice that we have a lot of purchasing power because we bring people together to do this.” Behrens said the decision to upgrade horseflesh was overwhelmingly based on customer feedback. “What we heard [from micro-investors] is we want 2-year-olds and we want the opportunity to participate in big races,” Behrens said. “So we started with a modest budget of like a couple hundred grand, and OBS March was the first time we went to a sale and started looking for partners. We picked up a Jimmy Creed filly that we liked for $65,000 in partnership with Cardinal Hill Racing. It sold phenomenally [on the micro-shares platform]. So we went back in April.” At OBSAPR, MyRacehorse bought interests in three more juveniles, partnering separately with owners Joey Platts and Slam Dunk Racing to combine for $360,000 worth of purchases. At OBSJUN the firm partnered with Winning Move Stable for another $100,000 colt. Around the same time, MyRacehorse also started scouting for in-training graded stakes prospects. After Street Band (Istan) won the GII Fair Grounds Oaks, Behrens landed a piece of her for “a hefty valuation.” She subsequently ran sixth in the GI Kentucky Oaks, but became the syndicate’s first graded stakes winner on July 13 when she scored in the GIII Indiana Oaks. Simultaneously, Behrens began negotiating to acquire partnership interests in two juveniles Spendthrift bought as yearlings. One was Wayne O. The other, Tizamagician (Tiznow), is a $150,000 FTSAUG colt who ran second in his July 27 Del Mar debut. Behrens said 140 of the syndicate’s micro-owners showed up to cheer him on. “Our trainer, Dick Mandella, told [Spendthrift owner] B. Wayne Hughes, ‘I can’t believe I got a standing ovation for running second,'” Behrens said. “Wayne actually came out to watch the race with us, and customers wanted to meet him to thank him for the opportunity to partner on a really good horse. It was a special day.” Right now there are five open micro-partnership opportunities available on MyRacehorse (30 others are sold out). All are 2-year-olds valued between $180 and $320 per one-tenth of one percent share. Behrens said MyRacehorse intends to keep acquiring horses as long as the demand for micro-shares warrants further buying. “When [potential partners] started seeing us on tickets at the OBS sale, people started calling us,” Behrens said. “So yeah, we’re buying aggressive. The idea of being a major player in buying graded stakes-quality horses of racing age, buying into a percentage of horses that were high-priced yearlings, and going to the 2-year-old sales and hitting the hammer more aggressively, that is where our focus is going to be, and that’s absolutely what you’ll see from us going forward.” Behrens said that even though eventually acquiring horses as yearlings might have some appeal, the firm isn’t quite prepared to invest in horses that are a year away from being race-ready. “The yearling sales, we are just not ready for yet,” Behrens said. “But we are starting to consider that because many of our customers understand there’s the possibility to do a little bit better on ROI if we acquire horses earlier, especially if we’re open to [pinhooking] them. But that’s just a little bit premature for us right now. We’d like to focus on getting horses that are closer to racing, and get a few more trips to the winner’s circle under our belt.” The post Building a 100-Horse Stable, One Micro-Share at a Time appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article