To the OP
I am not sure exactly how it works, and I’m sure there are plenty of people here who can explain, but I believe you have to get licensed as an owner in order to race.
True, you do need an owner’s license but that is about step #87. There is a lot that needs to be done way before you get to that point.
A new owner is eligible for an Open Claiming License at most any jurisdictions as a way to get new owners in the game. Find a trainer first and you shoudl consider one with less than 20 horses or you’ll just get lost in the shuffle of a big outfit. Your horse may do OK in a big outfit, but you might not learn the necessary things along the way and be left in the dark on a lot of things. Also, the worst thing you can do is find an eager trainer who wants to train for you and drop the claim slip on the first living breathing horse with four legs w/out really checking the horse out. I’ve seen this several times. Ask the trainer about their stall situation and be vocal that you want them to claim the best horse possible and that you are willing to be patient in the claim process even if it takes a couple of months. For your price range, you may be waiting a while to claim one because many are unsound and have issues that are more pronounced than higher-level claming horses. Don’t get me wrong, all horses have issues, even those running this Saturday at Pimlico, but the ones on the bottom are often near the end of their rope in terms of dealing with problems. Others, can run and be productive on the bottom for several years. You have to try and claim the best one. Also, don’t think that because you claim a “young one” that you’ll get one who is sound. Most young horses get some sort of issue early on. last year I claimed 2 3 year olds, one had chips in both knees, the other had suspensory problems in both hind legs !!!
Whoa… just saw that this thread got some action. I am not used to that. I will start reading!
Don’t get too excited, a big chunk of it pertains to the size of a poster’s manhood or lackthereof. Not exactly one of our better threads.
Okay, I read again. Too old to be interested in big dongs by the way…
I have to think about whether I would be willing to abdicate that much control to a trainer. That initial comment stopped me dead in my tracks. I am interested in being more hands on.
Find a different hobby then, or get a job as a hot walker and work yourself up to a groom and see if the trainer will let one of the horses you groom be your own horse. No trainer worth having is going to let an owner be hands on.
[QUOTE=imissvixen;4090118]
. . . . I have to think about whether I would be willing to abdicate that much control to a trainer. That initial comment stopped me dead in my tracks. I am interested in being more hands on.[/QUOTE]
I can tell you from personal observation that most trainers do not welcome too much owner involvement. I know one gentleman who got his trainer’s license & started training his own because he wanted to be involved & didn’t find trainers welcomed it.
I can also see the trainer’s side - even a “small” trainer is very, very busy & standing around talking to an owner is not high on the priority list during a day that may extend over 15 - 18 hours seven days a week.
Its not only the busy part but we got to be trainers by studying and working under other trainers and the like. We found a system that works for us. We can not teach every aspect of that system to the owners right off the bat and have them implement it effectively. And we certainly don’t want an owner coming in and changing our system either.
I have always been very owner friendly as far as explaining why I am doing what I am doing and answering any questions they may have as I feel they have a right to know. That doesn’t mean I want them in the stall doing it for me.
Training/owning racehorses is a serious professional sports venture. The guy that owns the baseball team is not coaching third base. Owners hire coaches/trainers and the best athletes they can, and work to build a team. In racing, owners do the same. They invest in the best stock they can, hire a trainer with a good staff and program and let them do their job. Yes the owner has final say, he pays the bills, but race trainers have far to much on their plate for alot of hand holding and after having developed a system, for which the owner (supposedly) hired them, they don’t care to change things.
As much as I love horses and love being a hands on horseperson in my hobby riding environment, I would never dare (if I owned racehorses) to try and tell the trainer what to do. In fact, I know several very knowledgeable professional horsement (hands on) that hire trainers to make decisions.
If you want to be hands on you have to get a trainers license and you are free to do it all.
[QUOTE=imissvixen;4090118]
Okay, I read again. Too old to be interested in big dongs by the way…
I have to think about whether I would be willing to abdicate that much control to a trainer. That initial comment stopped me dead in my tracks. I am interested in being more hands on.[/QUOTE]
You’d need to let go. Do you think an orthopedic surgeon who needed a heart transplant would instruct the cardiologist on how to do the operation? In all honesty, from my experience the people who know a lot about horses in other disciplines know almost nothing about what it takes to race horses effectively.
In my time working at the track we only had one owner who ever inquired about training and he was notorious for it.
So, there are no owner/trainers? What about the guy who owns General Quarters? And I think I read in that terrific book about Suffolk Downs that there was a female Harvard MD who is also an owner/trainer.
[QUOTE=imissvixen;4147120]
So, there are no owner/trainers? What about the guy who owns General Quarters? And I think I read in that terrific book about Suffolk Downs that there was a female Harvard MD who is also an owner/trainer.[/QUOTE]
Sure, there are plenty of successful and not so successful owners/trainers. Coming from either side, (owner to trainer or vice versa) the one thing that makes success is knowledge about the horse, and the sport.
Personally, I have seen owners who gain a little knowledge (enough to pass the trainer test), and then usually flounder around with a horse or two. Trainers that have come up through the ranks usually own a horse or two (or more) and have the experience to know how to train, and how to pick races that their horses will be competitive in.
My advice to someone that wants to own and be hands on, is to go to the track daily, and work for a trainer. Either become a trainer themselves or find someone that you are extremely compatible with, and try and form a partnership. Usually it doesnt work out though, most trainers have the horses best interest at heart, and will only see a profit if the horse is running and winning. For an owner to step in, and be unrealistic (maybe not on purpose, just from lack of knowledge) will really hinder the trainers abiltiy to earn a living.
Sure. I know some. Generally at the lower levels though. It takes a LOT of time and most people have another job to support their horse racing hobby/habit, so it just depends on your level of energy and self-motivation.
[QUOTE=imissvixen;4147120]
So, there are no owner/trainers? What about the guy who owns General Quarters? And I think I read in that terrific book about Suffolk Downs that there was a female Harvard MD who is also an owner/trainer.[/QUOTE]
No one ever said you couldn’t get your trainers license and train your own horses. We just said that no good trainer is going to let an owner be hands on. Huge difference because it would be your ass on the line, not anyone elses.
I searched the threads to see if this has been posted before…and didn’t find it. I thought it was a good illustration of what not to do;)
[QUOTE=selah;4153451]
I searched the threads to see if this has been posted before…and didn’t find it. I thought it was a good illustration of what not to do;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwXVYzTk1Xw[/QUOTE]
:lol::D:lol:
OMG, I just had the best laugh I’ve had all week!
[QUOTE=imissvixen;4147120]
So, there are no owner/trainers? What about the guy who owns General Quarters? And I think I read in that terrific book about Suffolk Downs that there was a female Harvard MD who is also an owner/trainer.[/QUOTE]
Sounds like you would enjoy “Backyard Racehorse” book & online group to me - the book has had multiple editions, and the author, Janet DelCastillo, is doing live updates of her latest efforts with two horses on Facebook and/or Twitter…
You don’t hear as much about the owner/trainers as they race less often, and naturally have a much smaller (sometimes one!) string. But it might be up your alley if you want to be more involved then sending a check and smiling in the win photo lol.
There are actually more of owner/trainers than you’d think, just do a browse on any local entry race form in your area. They don’t get the big press, but they occasionally win or hit the board- just like showing only sometimes a check appears, whoa baby! lol
These owner/trainers usually have another main source of income outside of racing, but then so do the owners that send the checks and thats it…
PM if you want more info!
Good luck
Arcadien
