What are my training options?

[ISABELLA]

I'm new to the racing/breeding scene so please excuse my ignorance!
I have had 2 in-foal TB mares (both due @ April) offered to me. The only catch is the breeder wants the foals to make it to the racetrack,(Pennsylvania Incentive Program???).
My question is What are my options as far as getting them to the track?
I know I can sell them at a yearling auction(totally clueless here?!!),send them to a trainer($$$) or ???
Any opinions are welcomed. I would like to have the option to keep one of the foals after racing and be invovled in their training. Anybody have a copy of Raising a racehorse for dummies?
Thanks soo much for your help!

[skeenan]

You can start with the TOBA website:

http://www.toba.org

and this one:

http://www.thegreatestgame.com/

Both are meant to educate new owners or those wishing to get into the business... it's a start, anyway! Hope they help!

[ISABELLA]

Thanks Skeenan!

[BJ]

I'm new to the racing/breeding scene so please excuse my ignorance!
I have had 2 in-foal TB mares (both due @ April) offered to me. The only catch is the breeder wants the foals to make it to the racetrack,(Pennsylvania Incentive Program???).
My question is What are my options as far as getting them to the track?
I know I can sell them at a yearling auction(totally clueless here?!!),send them to a trainer($$$) or ???
Any opinions are welcomed. I would like to have the option to keep one of the foals after racing and be invovled in their training. Anybody have a copy of Raising a racehorse for dummies?
Thanks soo much for your help!

Who is the mare and sire(s)?

As far as getting them to a trainer, you will have a good 1.5 to 2 years minimum time to find a trainer, because the foals will need to be raised on a farm/ranch, with lots of good pasture, where they have a good reputation for raising healthy, strong, sound and well looked after foals.

You need to check into costs to know what you are getting into. You need to plan on 2.5 - 3 years minimum cash going out the door and not coming back in for a while, if ever. (Unless you plan to sell, in which case you need to at least know what you have and where to best market/sell.)

You should get with some people who can tell you what to expect and what to watch for, etc., when dealing with the different facets of what you are contemplating.

But mostly, you should know that the odds are pretty tough to get a horse to the races, let alone have them win and make any money. You need to know the sire(s)of these prospective foals BECAUSE you can then look up the stallion's stats and have an idea of the odds you are working with. I would do that before even considering ANY "offer" of mares in foal.

This is a tough business for the hardened, experienced racehorse owner. You would have to have incredible luck and lots of money for it to be "fun", unless you are really dumb (like me ) and just love the hell out of the horses. If you don't love the horse...you need to run very fast away from this business! That's advice I would give to my friends and family.

[Heidilady]

Yeah we really need to know the pedigrees of the foals-to-be so as to better advise you. Out of curiosity, don't suppose anybody could play investigative reporter and take some photos of these mares for us? I'm really looking the gift horse in the mouth on this one I know but it's always fun to see'em.

One option (not sure I'm explaining this well, somebody tell me if this sounds right) is maybe for if you wanna try to race the foals but you don't wanna keep the mares or one of the mares. What you can do is breed the mares back (we can help with stallion suggestions) and if you get them in foal to a more commerical sire you can look at selling them (mares-in-foal or the result of the 2nd matings) at auction. That way you can try to get the foals to the track but at the end of the year you could unload a mare you didn't like or couldn't afford to continue breeding by November or next January. Everything I think of still takes a year or two so don't count on immediate money. You ask about the foals but a big question is what to do with the mares--it IS breeding season coming up. When are the foals due? If too late in the season you'd be stuck with mares you wouldn't wanna breed back and what's the point of that? (oops, just realized you said due April..hmm I guess there's always a chance you'll be stuck with mares that don't take..this takes more thought but there are others better qualified than me to tell you what to do with mares foaling in April)

Getting a horse to the track IS expensive but there are different options of selling before you get to that point or you can go for it (I'm a totally optimist and might do it myself, totally a sucker I know but I DO love horses and would want to race just for the heck of it--anybody got a bottomless wallet they care to loan me?). Things like foal shares are out there and syndicates for new horse owners. You might decide you'd rather do something besides, with, or in addition to these you've been offered.

[ragsdaj]

I think you have received some pretty good advice so far. The one thing I would make sure of, and written is what is a good faith effort on your part to see these foals have a chance to get to the track in Pennsylvania. The breeder has given you a tight window of opportunity. If you sell at sale I dont see how you can be assured that the horse would run in Penn or anywhere. Maybe a hunter/jumper says wow and the bidding is in their range? Now the foals dont run anywhere.

You might investigate whether there are any partnerships that run in Penn and would run them with other people's money too. These would have to be commercial foals for that to happen if at all.

The big question for me is if they dont get there, do you have a financial obligation?

Other questions you might ask, "I am inexperienced at what is being proposed. Why is the offer being made to me? Has this breeder done this before and with what results?"

I have a tendency to be optimistic as well, but its better to be optimistic after the plan is in place and both parties agree to that plan.

Good Luck.