Kentucky Racehorse Trainer

Don't fall victim to a racehorse trainer scam artist.

Thoroughbred racehorse trainers make their living on training thoroughbred racehorses. It does not matter whether the horse being trained can win races.  But some trainers will keep a racehorse in their stable that they know will not win in order to receive a daily / monthly income.

Take for example a Kentucky married couple who desired to invest in a racehorse.  With prices of thoroughbred's falling to new lows, they decided to purchase a suitable horse.  They approached a trainer who had been in the business for more than 20 years, had good statistics for results, and asked him to select the appropriate racehorse. Relying on his expertise, he purchased a yearling at auction for the investors.  After paying for training of that thoroughbred for over a year and a half, the couple learned from other trainers that their racehorse had a deformity, that the horse could never run in a race, and that their trainer should have known better.  When the couple confronted the trainer, he responded by stating that they said that they wanted a cheap horse! 

Of course, this tatic is not limited to small stables nor the inexperienced investor.  A professional pinhooker (soneone who buys horses with the intention of reselling them at a higher price) purchased a racehorse from a breeder and sent him to a big time trainer for training and conditioning. After receiving very high bills - including higher than average vet bills, the pinhooker decided to visit the stable and the horse. It seems the horse was not located in the barn where the trainer told the pinhooker the horse was located.  After some checking, the pinhooker located her horse in one of the trainer's barns in another state.  The pinhooker thereafter contested the charges.

So how does one avoid this type of situation?  There is no easy answer.  Perhaps the best is to retain the services of an independent trainer who has nothing to gain nor loose in the investment to use as an independent advisor. Do your homework. Check on your horse regularily. Last, before you invest, plan on how you intend to exit the investment.

 

 

Kentucky’s Dark Secret

Today my wife and I saved the life of a thoroughbred racehorse and learned about Kentucky’s dark secret:  they still kill healthy horses in Kentucky.

With the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) about to start this month and Kentucky businesses spending a lot of money preparing for the games hoping to profit from the visitors, one must be wondering why horses are being killed and who are performing this dreadful act.  The answers: money and horse owners.

Since the purses at Kentucky racetracks have gone down, many thoroughbred racehorse owners find it is not financially possible to keep racehorses which can not support themselves. The horse we saved was a three year old gray gelded thoroughbred in perfect health who was not fast enough to win a race with a significant purse. As a gelding, this horse had no value for breeding. In anticipation of a second carrier, he had been exposed to jumping, but would require much more dedicated and expensive training before he had any value.  The owner did not want to feed and stable the horse for economic reasons and decided to euthanize the horse. Upon learning of this and without ever looking at the horse, we implored the trainer to convince the owner to wait a few days, called upon friends, and ultimately found the horse a home.

The owner considered euthanasia for financial reasons. It can cost an owner upwards of $70.00 a day for a trainer to care for a horse, not including veterinarian and farrier expenses, or about $2,400.00 per month. To support himself, the horse would have had to win a race with a minimum $5,000.00 purse every 4 weeks (winning horses receive 60% of the purse) to cover the monthly expenses, the trainer’s commission, the jockey’s commission, and the transportation costs to the race to just break even.  On the farm, it can cost upwards of $20.00 a day to care for a horse not in training, not including veterinarian and farrier expenses. Due to the recession, many owners are abandoning their horses as they can no longer afford the horse(s).  Few trainers and farms can handle the added expenses of unwanted abandoned horses.  The most economical and easy solution, euthanasia.

So why not give the horse to one of the agencies which advertise that they take retired racehorses and give them new careers?  The answer: money.  Not all agencies who advertise that they accept retired racehorses will accept them unless the owner also pays the agency to accept the racehorse. For example, this author visited the Kentucky Horse Park and inquired about giving them a retired thoroughbred racehorse.  They said that they would have to inspect the horse to verify he was healthy, to verify that he could be retrained, and that they would only consider the horse if the horse was accompanied with an endowment. It appeared that they were more interested in the money than the horse since they effectively did not want to bother with a quality horse without an endowment.

This author also checked with a few riding stables to see if they were interested in retired thoroughbreds and learned that thoroughbreds do not make good riding horses for the inexperienced riders.  Simply, the stables were not interested.

In checking with the Kentucky Equine Humane Center (KEHC), this author learned that they would accept horses surrendered to them if they had the space.  Unfortunately, KEHC stated that they would euthanize the horse if no one adopted him.

Training Thoroughbred Racehorses For Transport

Thoroughbred race horse trainers transport their racehorses to many tracks in order to place their horses in the appropriate races. This means that they must transport the horses from their stable to thoroughbred racetracks hundreds of miles away. Therefore, it is important to address the training needs of the racehorse for the journey.

Often overlooked, the training of the thoroughbred racehorse for transport can affect the horse's ability to finish "in-the-money." Horses are used to having solid ground beneath their hoofs. The ground does not move nor does it make any significant noise. Their environment is usually not confining. Yet, a horse trailer moves, makes noise, and confines the movement of the racehorse. For a horse which has never been trained for trailering, it can be downright frightening.  A frightened horse can be difficult and time-consuming to load. In addition, the trailering experience can wear down and exhaust the racehorse.   

To train the racehorse for travel, you first must expose the horse to the trailer and get the horse comfortable with the trailer.  With the appropriate halter and shank (30" chain for fillies, 36" chain for colts, mares, studs, geldings), lead the horse around the trailer.  The trailer should be securely fastened to the tow vehicle for safety reasons. The trailer should also be clean inside.  Let the horse look at the trailer with the trailer in "loading" mode with the doors open and the ramps down (Most trainers prefer horse trailers with wide rear and side loading ramps.). Walk the horse around the trailer and across the bottom of the ramps but do not lead the horse up the ramp. Let the horse smell the trailer.  If the horse "spooks", then just keep walking the horse around in tight circles or in tight figure-8 patterns in close proximity to the ramps. The goal is to let the horse experience the noise the sound of their hoofs make as they walk across the bottom of the ramp. However, be on guard for sudden motion of the horse or for the horses which stumble when walking on the ramp. 

Once the horse is used to the sound of walking across the ramp, it will be time to try to get the horse to walk on and up the ramp. With a firm grip on the shank, walk the horse rapidly around in a circle and then right up the ramp. If you are lucky, the horse will load. However, more likely than not, the horse will simply refuse to step on the ramp.  If this happens, lead the horse to the edge of the ramp, and have another person gently lift the horses leg up and place the hoof on the ramp. Let the horse stand there. Patience is key here. Do not scold or hit or frighten the horse. Sometimes a little distraction such as scratching the horse's neck or head or nose or speaking softly will help relax the horse. Sometimes a handful of the horse's favorite treat or food helps if placed in front of their nose and used to lead the horse up the ramp. The key here is to get the racehorse to trust you and to realize that they are safe.  Once the horse calms down, then gently place the other front leg onto the trailer. Then back the horse off the ramp, walk it around again, and repeat this action until the horse feels comfortable placing its hoofs on the ramp. Depending on the horse this may need to be repeated a few times.  A horse comfortable with placing its front hoofs on the ramp will more than likely walk right into the trailer.  Then walk the horse around again in a tight circle and then up the ramp.

Extremely frightened horses can be difficult to load. If the above techniques do not work, then you may have to take more drastic measures. In some cases, the use of a twitch on the horse's lip may aid you in leading ("pulling") the horse onto the trailer. However, this can terrify the horse. Extremely frightened horses may need to be partially tranquilized and then led onto the trailer with the help of several people.

Once you get the horse into the trailer, secure the restraining bars, guards, etc. in order to protect both the horse and people. Then let the horse eat a meal and take a drink.  Afterward, remove the guards and walk the horse off of the trailer. The goal is to get the horse comfortable with loading onto and off of the trailer.  Once the horse is comfortable with being loaded and unloaded, then drive the loaded trailer around a short distance to see how the racehorse reacts. You need for the racehorse to trust you.

Of importance, you must consider the safety of the people and horse at all times when you load or unload the racehorse.  Have people stand on the sides of the ramp to help guide the horse up the ramp. A horse which injures it's leg due to a misstep off of the ramp may injure itself. Furthermore, be ready for horses which stumble and fall. Likewise, be ready for the danger posed by a frightened horse which rears up.

If you work at training the horse over several times you will find that the horse will walk right onto the trailer the day you need to transport the horse.

Thoroughbred Bloodstock Agents

This list is provided as a service to the thoroughbred race horse community and is for information only. The list is believed up to date but its accuracy is not guaranteed. No recommendation nor guarantee are made as to availability of products or the quality of service.

A.F. Defalco Thoroughbreds 
Tony & Janice DeFalco  
(352) 843-0192

Abacus Bloodstock AGency, LLC 
Kinney Hounshell 
3070 Lakecrest Circle, Suite #400 -104 
Lexington KY 40513 
(859) 321-1708   
(859) 254-5995   
  
Albatroz Bloodstock Agency  
1830S Ocean Drive 2007 
Hallandale Beach FL 33009   

Alexander Neuman & Richard Grossman  
3363 Tates Creek Rd., Suite 204 
Lexington KY 40502 
(859) 231-0213  
(859) 231-0206 
alex@equineinsurance.com
dick@equineinsurance.com   

Alidan Bloodstock   
(352) 552-2139  

Barry D. Roos Thoroughbred Services 
Barry D. Roos  
(617) 840-5144   
info@barryroos.com  

Bauman Bloodstock Agent 
Nancy Bauman  
(352) 622-7673 

Bayer Bloodstock Agent 
Beth Bayer  
(352) 266-8760   
emmabayer@aol.com  

Bloodstock Consulting Services  
1541 Brigham Loop 
Geneva FL 32732-9741
  
Bluegrass Bloodstock Agency  
725 Old Frankfort Pike 
Versailles KY  
(859) 873-6533  

Bluegrass Bloodstock Agency   
4240 Pisgah Rd 
Versailles KY  
(859) 873-6500  

Bluegrass Bloodstock Agency, Inc 
Richard S. Trontz 
P.O. Box 4157
Midway KY 40347   

Bradley Thoroughbred Brokerage LLC
1019 Majestic Drive, Suite 370 
Lexington KY 40513 
(859) 275-2120     
(859) 275-1222     

Brandywine Stables, LLC  
10 Haig Point Circle
P.O. Box 7928 
Hilton Head Island SC 29938 
(317) 498-4221  

Briggs & Cromartie Thoroughbred Consultants  
P.O. Box 669 
Ocala FL 34478 
(352) 591-5888  
(352) 694.0600 
info@BCbloodstock.com 
www.bcbloodstock.com 

Casse Racing  
6650 SW 66th Street 
Ocala FL 34476   

Cecil Seaman & Co., LLC  
P.O. Box 11370  
Lexington KY 40575 
(859) 293-0561   
(859) 299-9630   
www.cecilseaman.com  

Checkmate 
Norman Wilson  
(352) 622-9374  

Classic Bloodstock  
7700 NW 14th Street 
Ocala FL 34482   

Continental Bloodstock Agency   
3363 Tates Creek Rd # 204 
Lexington KY  
(859) 233-1818   
www.equineinsurance.com  

Cullen Bloodstock  
Jim Cullen 
167 West Main Street, Suite 900 
Lexington KY 40507 
(859) 226-5072 
(859) 226-5073 
(859) 226-5074 
jcullen@openworldinc.com  

Dapple Bloodstock  
444 East Main Street, Suite 204 
Lexington KY 40507 
(859) 263-3939   
info@dapple.net  

Dellheim Bloodstock Agent 
Peggy Dellheim  
(352) 274-2556 
(352) 867-7832

Denali Stud  
1700 Georgetown Rd. 
Paris KY 40361 
(859) 987-6212  
(859) 987-6210 
craig@denalistud.com
  
Discovery Bloodstock, LLC 
Bill Giauque (Gee-oak)  
(352) 622-6759  
(352) 390-8465 
bkgoak@cox.net 
 
Dolphin Bloodstock  
PO Box 304 
Palm Beach  FL 33480 
 
Eaton Sales 
Reiley McDonald
Tom VanMeter 
1510 Newtown Pike, Suite 108 
Lexington KY 40511 
(859) 233-4021  
(859) 231-5036
   
Erin-American Bloodstock   
Joseph Brocklebank  
226 Brixton Road South  
Garden City South NY 11530 
(800) 416-6697  
(516) 489-3085 
J GBrocklebank@aol.com
  
Erin-American Bloodstock   
Joseph Brocklebank  
1105 Papaya St.  
Hollywood FL 33019 
(954) 929-0210 
(516) 946-9364 
(954) 921-9626  
J GBrocklebank@aol.com
  
Fairhill Farm 
Linda Schroetlin  
(352) 591-3416 

Florida Bloodstock, Inc.  
Joan Audette  
(352) 237-5305   
jia@hughes.net
  
Fulton Bloodstock Agent 
John Fulton 
P. O. Box 540909 
Lakeworth FL 33454
  
Gayle Van Leer Thoroughbred Services 
Gayle Van Leer 
12990 Caminito Bautizo 
San Diego CA 92130 
(858) 794-6262  
(858) 794-6888 
info@gaylevanleer.com
  
Global Thoroughbreds Ltd    
16400 Collins Suite 2846  
Sunny Isles Beach FL 33160 
(305) 947-6030  
(305) 947-9403   

Global Thoroughbreds Ltd    
P.O. Box 676390 
Rancho Sante Fe CA 92067 
(858) 759-6660  
(858) 759-6606 
   
Goldman Bloodstock Agent 
David Goldman  
(352) 207-4342 

Havens Bloodstock Agency, Inc.  
Andrew Havens 
P. O. Box 80365  
San Marino  CA 91118 
(626) 293-3312 
(626) 293-3315 
(818) 903-3302 
havensbloodstock@aol.com
  
HHLou's Bloodstock & Handicapping Service
(502) 292-2109   
HHlou@aol.com
  
Houyhnhnm Stables 
Jeff Seder 
501 Hicks Road 
West Grove PA 19390 
(610) 383-6000  
(800) 223-7014 
(610) 383-9926
   
Hurstland Farm 
Alfred H. Nuckols, Jr. 
484 Spring Station Road
PO Box 305 
Midway KY 40347-0305 
(859) 846-4435  
(859) 846-4436 
info@hurstlandfarm.com
  
Ital-Cal Horse Management, Inc.   
(954) 249-6964 

J D R Bloodstock  
P.O. Box 298 
Osprey FL 34229 
941-918-8354
937-377-2811
941-266-6109
941-918-8354  

Jackson Bloodstock 
Chris & Catherine Jackson  
(941) 803-8128  
(941) 803-8313  
office@jacksonbloodstock.com 
www.jacksonbloodstock.com
 
Journeyman Bloodstock   
(352) 245-7500  
(352) 245-9013
   
Kent Bloodstock Agent 
Richard Kent   
(352) 804-7995

Kentucky Bloodstock, LLC   
125 North Madison Street
P.O. Box 157 
Owenton KY 40359 
(502) 484-5802   
(352) 694-0600 
info@kybloodstock.com
  
McCann Bloodstock 
Traci Hughes 
606 Euclid Avenue, Suite 1 
Lexington KY 40502 
(859) 269-3412  
(859) 269-3627 
thughes@mccannbloodstock.com  
mccann@aol.com  

McCann Bloodstock 
Bob McCann 
606 Euclid Avenue, Suite 1 
Lexington KY 40502 
(859) 269-3412  
(859) 269-3627 
bob@mccannbloodstock.com 
mccann@aol.com  

McPeek Racing 
Kenny McPeek 
2651 Russell Cave Road  
Lexington KY 40511 
(502) 494-6275 
(859) 254-9969  
Kenny@mcpeekracing.com  

Mill Ridge Farm   
2800 Bowman Mill Road  
Lexington KY 40513 
(859) 231-0606   
(859) 255-6010  
millridge@millridge.com  

Niall Brennan Stables Inc  
9119 NW Hwy 225A 
Ocala FL 34482   

Nick Manuden Farm  
Nick de Meric 
4001 N W 130th Avenue 
Ocala FL 34482 
(352) 351-2541 
(352) 351-8380

Nicoma Bloodstock 
Headley Bell 
2816 Bowman Mill Road 
Lexington KY 40513 
(859) 224-1000  
(859) 224-8977  
hbell@nicoma.com   

Oceanic Bloodstock Inc  
Michel Zerolo 
620 East Dilido Drive 
Miami Beach FL 33139   

Peachtree Racing Stable   
Palm Beach FL  
(803) 424-1758    
info@peachtreeracing.com  

Questroyal Stud, LLC.  
P.O. Box 368 
Claverack NY 12513 
(518) 828-0777    
qrstud@mhcable.com  

Ray Adam Bloodstock   
(352) 861-7775  

Schumer Bloodstock Agency 
Chad Schumer 
P.O. Box 8238 
Louisville KY 40257 
(502) 454-7607  
(502) 664-5481 
(502) 454-7677  
crs@schumerbloodstock.com   

Summerfield Sales Inc   
9180 NW 160th Avenue 
Morriston FL 32668   

Tennessee Bloodstock  
194 Forest Park Road 
Lexington KY 40503
tnbldstk@gte.net  

The Stallion Barn   
2900 NW 60th Avenue 
Ocala FL 34482   

Thomas Clark Bloodstock LLC  
333 West Vine Street, Suite 300 
Lexington KY 40507 
(859) 268-9228 (859) 421-0502 
(859) 271-7099 
tc@tcbloodstock.com  

Thomas J. Gallo III Sales Agency, LLC  
73 Henry Street 
Saratoga Springs NY 12866 
(518) 587-5550   
tgallo@tgallo.com  

Thomas J. Gallo III Sales Agency, LLC  
c/o Blue Stone Farm
60 English Road 
Cambridge NY 12816   

Thoroughbred Information Agency  
P.O. Box 102 
Sierra Madre CA 91025 
(626) 340-8695  
(909) 394-1612 
info@thoroughbredinfo.com  

Thoroughstock  
P.O. Box 6569 
Ocala FL 34478   

Warrendale Sales  
1005 Richmond Road 
Lexington KY 40502 
(859) 335.1738  
(859) 335-1748    

West Point Thoroughbreds, Inc.  
100 Technology Way, Suite 415 
Mount Laurel NJ  
(856) 778-9511  
(856) 778-9610 
info@westpointtb.com  

Winning Thoroughbred Horse Trainer Secret

By request, this post has been retracted. Please accept our apology.

Types of Thoroughbred Races

Graded Stakes - A graded Stakes is the highest level of racing in North America. They are listed as Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3, with Grade 1 being the most important and prestigious. The horse usually has to be nominated for these races, which means the owner may have to pay an entry stakes fee and / or the horse may have had to won certain types of races and / or the horse may need to meet certain requirements.

Optional Claiming Race - This is still a claiming race, with the difference being that only the horses that are listed as claiming horses can be claimed.  For example, if a horse is entered in an $80,000 optional claiming race but the owner did not want the horse claimed, then the trainer would enter the horse without the option of it being claimed.

Claiming Race - A claiming race is a race that every horse int eh race can be “claimed”. There is a claiming price and any horse can be claimed for the amount specified in the race requirements.  For example, if a horse is entered into a $30,000 claiming race than, and another owner/trainer desires to purchase that horse, then they can give the racing stewards $30,000 and chose to claim the horse after the race.  Of importance, if the horse finishes in the money, then the owner will receive that money and not the person claiming the horse.  Claiming races make races more fair for all horses since a trainer / owner may decide not to enter a high-caliber and expensive horse in a race with slower less-expensive horses so as not to risk having the horse claimed for less than its value. 

Equine Lawyer - Links

• ISAACS LAW OFFICE, 333 W. Vine Street, Suite 300, Lexington, KY 40507 859-252-5757  

This list is provided as a service to the thoroughbred race horse community and is for information only. The list is believed up to date but its accuracy is not guaranteed. No recommendation nor guarantee are made as to availability of products or the quality of service.

Regulatory & Investigative Organizations - Links

• Association of Racing Commissioners International
• British Horse Racing Board
• Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency
• Emirates Racing Association
• Horse Racing in Japan 
• International Federation of Horseracing Authorities 
• Kentucky Department of Agriculture      
• Kentucky Horse Racing Commission
• National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa   
• National Steeplechase Association
• New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing
• North American Pari-mutuel Regulators Association
• Queensland Racing
• Racing New South Wales
• Racing Medication and Testing Consortium 
• Racing Officials Accreditation Program
• Racing Victoria Limited
• Standardbred Investigative Services
• The Hong Kong Jockey Club
• Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau 
• U. S. Dept. of Agriculture   

This list is provided as a service to the thoroughbred race horse community and is for information only. The list is believed up to date but its accuracy is not guaranteed. No recommendation nor guarantee are made as to availability of products or the quality of service.

Condition Books, Stakes Races, Overnights - Links

• Equibase - Horsemen Area

This list is provided as a service to the thoroughbred race horse community and is for information only. The list is believed up to date but its accuracy is not guaranteed. No recommendation nor guarantee are made as to availability of products or the quality of service.

Horse Database, Pedigree, Entries, Past Performance

• Blood Stock Information Services
• Bloodstock Research
• BRIS Stable Alert
• BRISBet
• California Racing
• Daily Racing Form
• Del Mar Pedigree Query   
• Equibase Co. LLC
• Equineline.com
• Interactive Stallion Directory
• Pedigree Online    
• Pedigree Online Thoroughbred Database
• Race Replays - Cal Racing (Free) 
• The Jockey Club Information Systems, Inc.
• The Jockey Club Technology Services, Inc.
• Trackmaster    
• TVG

This list is provided as a service to the thoroughbred race horse community and is for information only. The list is believed up to date but its accuracy is not guaranteed. No recommendation nor guarantee are made as to availability of products or the quality of service.