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November 21, 2009 Members Login |
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Arabian Horse MagazineGetting Involved in Arabian RacingBy Karen Karvonen with ARAC Chair Leslie SmithEver think that one of the horses in your barn might make a good racehorse? Or wonder what it's like to stand in the winner's circle with your horse? Leslie Smith, chair of the Arabian Racing Association of California (ARAC) and a member of the AHA Racing Commission, remembers tagging along to Los Alamitos Race Track with friends for several years before she took the plunge. Now she says there's nothing like the rush she gets from watching a horse she bred break from the starting gate and head for the finish line. Here's her advice to would-be racehorse owners. If you're a newcomer, Smith suggests you learn as much as possible about racing so you can make educated decisions about your new venture. Visit your local race track and talk to other owners and trainers. Find a knowledgeable person that you feel comfortable with to help you. Join your local affiliate racing association, attend a new owners seminar and check out the Arabian Jockey Club (AJC) website at www.arabianracing.org. The AJC has information and resources for getting started, lists contacts for affiliates and offers racing statistics and reports about this growing sport. An affiliate organization manages Arabian racing meets within its state and can give you specific details about racing opportunities in that area. You can also obtain a "condition book" from the track racing secretary, which describes the qualifications, distances and dates of future races that owners and trainers use to enter races. States with major racing meets for Arabians are California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Michigan and Texas. The racing commission for each state can supply you with rules and regulations, but, Smith warns, it's a bit like wading through IRS tax law. First, learn all you can from your new mentor, fellow racing enthusiasts and affiliate associations. Finding a ProspectThere are many proven bloodlines. By checking the racing statistics in the Arabian Finish Line magazine, you can see the horses ranked by earnings and check the bloodlines. They also rank the top sires and dams. "You may already have a racehorse in your barn," says Smith. "There are some bloodlines that are not tested yet and may make good racehorses. Have a knowledgeable person, usually a trainer, honestly evaluate your horse for racing. You don't want to spend a lot of time and money if the talent and ability are not there. It takes the right combination of conformation, talent, attitude and training to make a really good race horse." Here's a short checklist of what is considered desirable conformation: Correct legs, short pastern and cannon, a long forearm, wide chest, deep heart girth, well-laid back shoulder, good length of hip in proportion to the shoulder, some slope to the croup and good width between the jaws. Horses that do not possess all these qualities have still become successful race horses. Some horses have so much heart and ability that they overcome other physical limitations. Keep in mind that your prospect needs to be a purebred Arabian registered with the Arabian Horse Association (Arabian Horse Registry of America) and must be 3 years old in order to race. Half-Arabians and Anglo-Arabians can not race. If you decide to buy a racehorse, check out the Arabian Finish Line magazine for sale ads, ask other owners and trainers about horses for sale and find out which affiliate racing organizations are putting on sales. This year the Texas Arabian Breeders Association www.texasarabianbreeders.com is having a sale at Retama Park in San Antonio on April 12, and Delaware Park Race Track www.arabianracesale.com will have a sale on May 9. Leasing or buying a horse through a partnership with an experienced owner is another option. Leasing allows you to enjoy the thrill of victory with a proven racehorse without committing to ownership. Often the lessee pays the expenses, and the owner takes a certain percentage of the wins. In a partnership, you'll share expenses and winnings, and learn the business from an experienced owner. "If you do your homework, claiming can be a rewarding experience," says Smith. "You must have an owner's license and the claim amount deposited with the paymaster to claim a horse. You fill out a claim slip that must be deposited in the claim box 20 minutes prior to the race. The minute the horse leaves the gate, the horse is yours." If more than one claim is filed, there is a drawing for the horse. Before you buy or lease any racehorse, check the racing program for the horse's race record or obtain a complete racing report from the AJC. Seek advice from experienced owners and trainers and have your prospect vet checked. Licenses & DocumentationIn order to race, your horse will need a Certificate of Registration for Racing from AHA, which goes on file with the racetrack to verify your horse's identity. You must turn in your registration form for this certificate, provide photographs and greater detail on markings and indications of hair whorls, scars and blemishes. Finally, an agent of the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau will tattoo the last six digits of the horse's registration number to the inside of his upper lip. When your horse is raced, a track identifier will compare his lip tattoo against his Racing Certificate about an hour before post time. As the owner, you will need to be licensed by the state in which you'll be racing. Check with the state racing commissioner or the track racing office for the required rules and regulations for your owner's license. Training & ConditioningRace trainers are not only responsible for your horse's care and training program, they are also your partner in the racing business. That's why it's important, says Smith, to find someone you can trust. "You need to find a person who shares your ideas about your horse's care and conditioning, someone you can communicate with well and whose racing philosophy matches yours," says Smith. You'll also want to make sure they have the knowledge and background to run your business." "Ask what their day rate is," says Smith. "The average cost is $35-40 a day, which includes the horse's daily training, feed, care and maintenance. Shoeing and veterinary care are extra. There is no cost to enter a race unless it is a stake or futurity race, which has a nomination and entry fees. The trainer's expenses, besides the day rate, usually include a percentage of the horse's winnings. Most races pay through fifth place." Turning a horse into a racehorse takes time, patience and luck and begins with proper conditioning, which Smith says takes six to eight months if no setbacks occur. Rushing a horse through training will only increase his odds of being sidelined with an injury. Once your horse is properly conditioned, receives his gate approval and has the required timed workouts, your trainer will consult the track condition book, select the appropriate race and enter your horse in his first race. Race Day"Racing is highly regulated because the state wants to ensure that the betting public can have confidence in the legitimacy of racing," says Smith. "As a result, horses are watched much more closely than at shows. Not only are all race winners drug tested, but other runners are randomly selected for testing also. There are heavy fines and suspensions for medications violations. They are also inspected on race day by the track veterinarian and re-evaluated about an hour before post time in the receiving barn. If a vet feels a horse is not fit or sound, he can scratch him at any time." From the receiving barn, the horses go to the saddling paddock where they are tacked up. Then they are moved onto the track for the post parade, warmed up by some trotting and galloping, then loaded into the starting gate and released as the announcer roars, "…and they're off!" As the horses thunder towards the finish line, the crowd is swept up in the excitement of cheering on their favorite. Smith, who showed a little bit and was involved with show management for many years, not only enjoys the adrenaline rush of watching her horses run, she likes the benefits racing offers. "It costs about the same to put a horse with a race trainer as it does with a show trainer," says Smith. "The difference is that in racing you can often cover at least some of your expenses with your winnings. It costs nothing to enter most races, and you still have the opportunity to earn purse money. Plus, as a legitimate business, you can write off your expenses." If a horse is talented he may race for many years until he is 7 or 8 years old, but a few have raced until they were 10 or 11. "A lot of retired racehorses go on to become endurance or competitive trail horses, or pleasure riding horses," says Smith. "Some even wind up in the show ring." Racing Resources
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