Hey , I have been told to find out how people are buying OTTB’S from the track at Saratoga? I understand there are plenty of lovely horses there and want to plan a trip up . Any ideas on Trainers or anyone who does the sales there?
I’d be shocked if there are more than a handful of TB’s for sale off the Saratoga track - at least not at “OTTB” prices. There aren’t enough stalls there to accomodate requests and most trainers have only a satellite presence there and rotate their horses in and out through Aqueduct or other tracks. Injured horses and horses who aren’t cutting it at the track don’t stay there. I think the cheapest claiming race you’ll find at the Spa is in the range of $50K.
Finger Lakes is not a terrible distance from Saratoga, and they have their own listings and plenty of OTTBs for sale.
I agree, you aren’t going to find much there unless its a gelding that can not walk.
So are you saying .
I am planning a trip to New York and wanted to hit the tracks to find a OTTB.
What other options are you telling me? Are there other tracks to look into and my Trainer & I are planning to go up with all intent purposes to Buy On The Spot!!. Any suggestions about Trainers to contact?
I have gone now and looked this past weekend at 4 horses in Maryland and West Virginia and there were so lame!!! I mean almost cripple. I am willing to go up in price if i can find something sound . and at least ready to come off the track sound. LOL.
If a horse can race but isn’t successful enough to race at the high level tracks, they ship them to the low level tracks. If they can no longer race at the bottom of the barrel tracks, they go on to another career or to slaughter. In other words Finger Lakes is the only place to look in NY.
Thanks Guys … I see there is another Thread similar to this… SORRY about that. IT is just so hard finding something that will pass a vetting and be sound enough to do the higher level of hunters. I guess I have to just keep trying and searching and seeking advise .
Contact me directly. I have a direct connection in New York that has a couple of very nice horses. CALL ME - ##s on my Web site - www.huntersrest.net.
There are a few owners willing to “give away” some pretty high quality geldings that could be useful on lesser circuits, but they are rare. As explained, most horses would “drop down a notch” rather than be sold off the track from a top tier venue.
Excuse me Hunter’s Rest but it is not exactly allowed on here to refer for purchases, this is a little over the top.
You might find some on Dreamhorse or Equinesite - I did when I was looking awhile ago. Also, there was a lady in Pine Plains who had a few listed on CANTER NE - they were at the farm instead of at the track. Ask around - there is a lady in Saratoga who generally knows of some nice ones for sale, but I don’t remember her name or number. There is def nothing as formal as CANTER there.
Your sources must have Saratoga confused with Finger Lakes. Lots of horses are available through Finger Lakes, as it is a lower-tier track. Saratoga is a premier race meet that is only for six weeks. A horse who is not competitive there is likely to find a niche at Laurel, Penn, Philly, Suffolk–all second tier tracks, but not bottom of the barrel.
I do have an OTTB gelding who ran at Aqueduct and Belmont, but there are some qualifiers there: he was a state-bred, I knew his owners (who also bred him) and they had no desire to sell him to another racing home. But that was an unusual situation for a horse running at that caliber of track.
Unfortunately, they have since gotten out of the breeding business, so that well has run dry.
Hey Sing Mia Song: How would you classify those tracks . Where is Suffolk? it is a NY track or further north? I do have a appt to go to Penn National. but not Philly or Suffolk.
All tracks have stars in my view, maybe not Breeders’ Cup runners let alone winners but still horses that ship into another track and unexpectedly womp on the big leaguers 
Finger Lakes Track does have a few of those horses. Tin Cup Chalice (see the thread) has done just that winning at Belmont and Saratoga but being based at “little old Finger Lakes”
Anyhow …
Suffolk Downs - (East) Boston, MA
http://www.suffolkdowns.com/directions.html
The old Western Mass fair circuits are gone so a lot of horses that would’ve dropped to that level - still peppered with a few just-fine ones - are gone.
Finger Lakes - near Rochester, NY
http://www.fingerlakesracetrack.com/
(Finger Lakes is owned by Delaware North Co. and is the only TB flat race track in NY not controlled by the New York Racing Association or NYRA. NYRA owns the tracks of Saratoga, Belmont and Aqueduct. Those three track operate at different times so that there is no overlap of racing dates. NYRA is the big league of racing that emobdies the New York slogan in song of if you can make there, you’ll make it anywhere )
In Pennsylvania you have a few tracks
Philadelphia Park in Bensalem, PA
http://www.philadelphiapark.com/
Penn National Race Course in Grantville, PA (near Harrisburg)
http://www.pennnational.com/
(Penn is a step below Philadelphia Park, which itself is a debatable 1/2 step below Suffolk which itself is a mighty step below Saratoga …)
Presque Isle Downs which is very new in Erie, PA (Western PA - Pittsburgh/Cleveland, OH)
http://www.presqueisledowns.com/
PID has a brand new synthetic race surface and with the fatter slots money have done well with attracting better horses (with bigger purses) then a smaller course might be expected to draw
Not sure why my reply of last night didnt post, but the OP has to CALL ME – I have several horses available (to me thru a direct link) in New York and in Virginia. CALL ME (##s on my website)
The horses are ready to go, sound, kind, etc.
THANKS GLIMMER … YOU ROCK !!!
If you plan to come to Finger Lakes, check out the Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program - Trainer’s Listings
http://fltrainerlist.proboards104.com/
The horses on the Trainer’s Listings are for sale, FLTAP acts as a listing agent only. There are some very nice horses listed right now.
And, as just another plug for the quality of horse that can come out of Finger Lakes, Courageous Comet, who just competed in the 2008 Olympics, in Eventing, was a Finger Lakes horse.
[QUOTE=Louise;3480728]
If you plan to come to Finger Lakes, check out the Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program[/QUOTE]
As Louise knows, The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle earlier this month did a nice article on their efforts.
Don’t forget to add “cover boy” to CC’s list of accomplishments – the latest Dover Saddlery eventing edition catalog (whoops…make that elite eventing edition :rolleyes: good lord how did that ever end up in my mailbox?) features the gorgeous grey in action.
Hmmmmm
From Glimmerglass:
(Penn is a step below Philadelphia Park, which itself is a debatable 1/2 step below Suffolk which itself is a mighty step below Saratoga …)
Hi Glimmerglass,
Yep, that is debatable. I think Philly Park is a heckuva lot nicer than Suffolk Downs (I’ve been to both fairly recently). But, this new owner at Suffolk is really turning some things around and it could go back to like it was in the ‘glory days.’ I certainly hope so. I elected to run Xena at Philly rather than Suffolk because I thought it was nicer…but that’s just my opinion.
I meant to thank you and all who were so nice to me when Genuine Risk passed on. I’m still bummed (I wanted her to live forever as all immortals should) but death is a part of life. I’m working on something to share with everyone on these boards.
Hope you are well!
And, for the people looking for an OTTB - think of the track and farm rescues and retirements like the TRF, ReRun, CANTER, The Exceller Fund, Another Chance 4 Horses, etc. They all have a lot of nice horses.
Best,
Hallie McEvoy
Racing Dreams, LLC
“Eclipse all nags compared to thee excite contempt and laughter; never do I believe was there a horse so much to run after.”
