Naming A Horse

How a Racing Partnership Names a Horse

Naming a horse, like most aspects of horse racing is based on tradition. Names are traditionally created by using a combination of the sire and dam’s name. Usually the name will play off both and sometimes just one of the names and have a creative or witty play on them.  But of course not all names use this form. Sometimes names can be representative of a specific trait of the horse or an experience the horse may have had, or even something that has meaning to the owners. In any case naming can be a very fun experience.

Before you have your heart set on a specific name you must first visit The Jockey Club website to ensure that your name is acceptable and approved. Like anything, there are rules and regulations that you must abide by when naming a horse. For example a horse’s name may not contain more than 18 characters including spaces. In addition, names cannot have commercial or artistic value, and cannot be suggestive or offensive. Furthermore, names cannot be used if another horse that is currently running is using that name. At the end of the day, the Jockey Club has the final say, and a complete list of the naming rules and regulations can be found at http://www.jockeyclub.com/registry.asp?section=3#six.

At Blinkers On Racing Stable, our horse racing partnership likes to come up with creative names that are either a play on the dam and sire’s names or are reflective of a horse’s attributes or experiences. For example, our multiple G1 winner, Turbulent Descent, is by Congrats out of Roger’s Sue. Clearly, her name has nothing to do with her dam and sire’s names, but rather an unfortunate plane flight on her way to California. After Turbulent Descent was purchased at the OBS sale in Ocala Florida she was flown out to Southern California to race. During her flight here, the plane experienced a good amount of turbulence and Turbulent Descent cut her ankle in the midst of all the turbulence. Luckily, the cut was superficial and turned out not be an issue. Since then Turbulent Descent has gone on to win three G1 races and her name has become popular across the country. Another horse for Blinkers On Racing Stable, Clearly a Cowboy, got his name the more traditional way. By With Distinction out of Cowgirl Lucky, Clearly a Cowboy is a perfect play on both his sire and dam’s names.

At the end of the day naming a horse is a personal decision made by the thoroughbred partnership or sole owner. There is no exact method you have to follow. Sometimes a name will come to you and just fit a horse and other times it may take a little longer and require some clever thinking. If you ever have a hard time naming a horse or are questioning the names you have come up with, watch this video of two horses with very clever names, I’m sure it will make you laugh! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgSZL63VoPs

Blinkers On

Blinkers On Racing Stable, a leader in thoroughbred horse racing partnerships, brings together the finest in thoroughbred horse racing expertise with the best in business know-how, and above all, a team of people you can trust, to manage your investment. We are committed to helping you experience the joys of thoroughbred horse ownership. For more information on thoroughbred partnerships visit our website or request an information package about our partnership. Keep up with horse racing in California by reading our Blog, finding us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, checking us out on LinkedIn, or visiting our YouTube Channel!

 

Kentucky Derby

A Thoroughbred Partnership’s Dream

“The Run for the Roses”, 554 roses to be exact, woven together into a magnificent blanket that is draped over the winner of the most prestigious thoroughbred horse racing event in North America. The Kentucky Derby has been steeped in history since its inception in 1875 when Aristides won the inaugural event. The event was mirrored after the Epsom Derby and originally run at 1 ½ miles until 1896 when it was changed to its current distance of 1 ¼ miles. Restricted to three year old horses, and predominantly colts or geldings, this race has produced some of the most influential thoroughbreds in all of horse racing.

Not only does the Kentucky Derby represent the most prestigious race of the year in North America, but it marks the beginning of the Triple Crown. The Triple Crown is a series of three races for three year olds that begins with the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May, then the Preakness Stakes on the third Saturday in May, and finally ends with the Belmont Stakes which is raced five weeks after the Kentucky Derby. From the inception of the Triple Crown only 11 horses have ever won all three and none have won since Affirmed in 1978. Year after year this journey of three hard fought races proves to be the toughest feat in thoroughbred horse racing.

The Kentucky Derby is the one event that most anyone who has little or no knowledge of the sport knows about. It’s a tradition and event that is held in high regard and one of the biggest reasons that new owners come into the game. The dream of winning the Kentucky Derby or merely being on “The Derby Trail” is something that every owner in the game dreams about. It can be hard to explain or express but when “Derby Fever” hits, you know that your passion for the game has taken over.  All of the tough times you have gone through, and all of the money you have invested doesn’t seem to matter. You just want to compete at the highest level in the game, The Kentucky Derby.

The Beauty of the Kentucky Derby is that anyone and any horse in the race has a legitimate chance to win. Unlike other sports or competitions, it doesn’t matter how much you spent on your horse or if you are the sole owner or part of a thoroughbred partnership because time and time again long shots continue to prevail in this prestigious race. In 2003 Funny Cide, a $75,000 purchase by 6 long-time friends and novices to the game put together a horse racing partnership and ended up winning the $1 million purse in the Kentucky Derby.  Their venture into the game with the dream of winning the Derby changed their lives forever and gave them an experience and prestige that only a select few will ever get to experience. Recently, continued success has been enjoyed by another horse racing partnership in the Kentucky Derby. The 2011 winner, Animal Kingdom, is owned by a thoroughbred partnership, Team Valor. Once again showing that winning the Kentucky Derby does not depend on a single owner but can consist of many owners coming together to live their dream.

In the next few weeks when you tune in to the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May, throw a Derby party and celebrate this great tradition as they wood at the track. Make the signature drink of the Kentucky Derby, the Mint Julep, and ladies make sure to wear the most extravagant and elegant hat you can find! Then you will be enjoying the event in full fashion!

Blinkers On

Blinkers On Racing Stable, a leader in thoroughbred horse racing partnerships, brings together the finest in thoroughbred horse racing expertise with the best in business know-how, and above all, a team of people you can trust, to manage your investment. We are committed to helping you experience the joys of thoroughbred horse ownership. For more information on thoroughbred partnerships visit our website or request an information package about our partnership. Keep up with horse racing in California by reading our Blog, finding us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, checking us out on LinkedIn, or visiting our YouTube Channel!

 

A Day In The Life Of A Thoroughbred Trainer

Race Horse Partnership Trainer

The alarm sounds, its 3:30am already… Out the door and at the track the horses are fed and ready for training by 5:30am. And if you are a Southern California trainer you probably have been to both Hollywood Park and Santa Anita before 6am to check on all your horses. The training schedule that was posted in the barn last night is the road map for all the help at the barn from grooms to exercise riders, which charts the path to keeping the horses fit and ultimately getting them to the races.

Outsiders looking in may think that training horses only involves keeping the horses healthy and making sure they get their daily exercise and upkeep, but much more falls on the shoulders of a trainer. One of the most important aspects of training is the ability to have goals for each horse, and a race targeted from the condition book. Having a tentative race date allows the trainer to work backwards knowing how many breezes he needs in order to get his horse fit for the targeted race. The ability to do this requires an understanding of the condition book, knowing where each horse fits; in distance, surface, and class. And at the same time the trainer must balance the often opposing view of each owner who many times can have unrealistic goals for their thoroughbreds.

When it comes down to it training is like running a small business, where your employees are your help; grooms, exercise riders, and assistants and owners are your clients. Trainers are constantly trying to succeed at being both a successful horseman as well as a successful businessman. To be the best it takes expertise in both areas. But when it comes down to it a trainer must have a firm dedication to his horses, owners and staff that is ultimately guided for his passion for the game.

At Blinkers On Racing Stable we consider ourselves one of the most passionate thoroughbred partnerships in horse racing. Like a trainer we must maintain the appropriate balance between horseman and businessman in order to reach our goals. Here at Blinkers On we take pride in having one of the most passionate and dedicated trainers in Southern California to represent our horse racing partnership.

Blinkers On

Blinkers On Racing Stable, a leader in thoroughbred horse racing partnerships, brings together the finest in thoroughbred horse racing expertise with the best in business know-how, and above all, a team of people you can trust, to manage your investment. We are committed to helping you experience the joys of thoroughbred horse ownership. For more information on thoroughbred partnerships visit our website or request an information package about our partnership. Keep up with horse racing in California by reading our Blog, finding us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, checking us out on LinkedIn, or visiting our YouTube Channel!

 

Two Year Old In Training Auctions, Race Horses For Sale

Race Horses For Sale

Sold!..Whack! The auctioneer points to you and slams the hammer down declaring you the highest bidder of a beautiful chestnut filly that is now just exiting the auction ring. Last year this same scenario took place at two year old in training sales throughout the country about 1,700 times. But you know that you saw something special in that filly you just purchased. The way she stood alertly and bright eyed at the barn, and especially the way she caught your eye after hours of watching 350 training videos, just gliding effortlessly across the track.

Two year old sales can be one of the most exciting thoroughbred auctions to purchase a race horse from. Unlike yearling and weanling sales two year old sales allow you as the buyer or your thoroughbred partnership, the opportunity to evaluate the running ability of the race horse before purchasing it. These thoroughbreds showcase their ability to run (or not) in under tack shows breezing 1/8^th to 3/8^th of a mile.  At Blinkers On we believe our ability to analyze race horse stride has been a key to the success of our horse racing partnership.

Buying a horse is most definitely an art and not a science, and that is what makes it challenging.  At Blinkers On Racing Stable, a leader in thoroughbred partnerships in California, we specialize and succeed in purchasing two year olds in training. With the expertise of bloodstock adviser Greg Gilchrest, Blinkers On’s horse racing partnership has been successful in earning a lifetime win percentage of 24% and in the money 61% of the time. The majority of these statistics were accumulated from horses purchased from two year old in training sales over the past 6 years.

This year another 1,500 two year olds in training will be sold at auction. They will range from horses sold and purchased from yearling sales brought back to be sold as two year olds in training, to horses right off the farm entering the sales pavilion for the first time. Either way, the excitement and potential will be second to none. Many will have the potential to compete at the highest levels of racing beginning in the summer of this year and throughout the rest of their careers as race horses. The opportunities are endless with the right thoroughbred partnership. Will you be a part of it?

Blinkers On

Blinkers On Racing Stable, a leader in thoroughbred horse racing partnerships, brings together the finest in thoroughbred horse racing expertise with the best in business know-how, and above all, a team of people you can trust, to manage your investment. We are committed to helping you experience the joys of thoroughbred horse ownership. For more information on thoroughbred partnerships visit our website or request an information package about our partnership. Keep up with horse racing in California by reading our Blog, finding us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, checking us out on LinkedIn, or visiting our YouTube Channel!

 

Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame Honors the Sport’s Upper Echelon

According to the National Museum and Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame website, “The mission of the Official National Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame is to honor the achievements of those horses, jockeys, and trainers whose records and reputations have withstood the difficult test of time.” On Hall of Fame Day 2010, the Hall of Fame included 186 Thoroughbreds, 93 Jockeys, and 88 Trainers. Owners, despite their unique brand of contribution to Thoroughbred racing, do not have a home in the Hall of Fame.

Horses

Hall-of-Fame horses include such greats as Top Flight, Seabiscuit, and Man o’ War. Top Flight, a Tom Healey-trained filly inducted in 1966, beat out Domino’s 39-year standing record for the highest 2-year-old earnings in the business. Seabiscuit, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1958, was a repeated champion who, after an injury at 6 years of age, made a moving comeback at the age of 7 in the Santa Anita Handicap against Kayak II. Man o’ War, widely considered the greatest Thoroughbred who ever lived, set easy records in the Preakness, the Belmont, and the Travers; won the Dwyer Stakes, Stuyvesant Handycap, and Jockey Club Gold Cup; and was retired to stud where he sired a stunning 64 stakes winners.

Trainers

Trainers inducted into the Hall of Fame include legendary horse whisperers like John Rogers, Frank “Pancho” Martin, and M.E. “Buster” Millerick. Rogers had stunning wins in the Preakness and the Belmont with Buddhist, Tanya, Artful, and Burgomaster, among a string of other Thoroughbred champions, and was inducted as part of the Hall of Fame’s “inaugural class” in 1955. “Pancho” Martin, who through 2009 has won “3,284 races and purses totaling $46,881,516,” was the industry’s leading purse winner in 1974, New York’s leading trainer from 1973 to 1982, and has raced multiple champions against such greats as Secretariat. “Buster” Millerick, inducted in 2010, trained West Coast Thoroughbreds for almost 50 years, from 1935 – 1984, winning a total of 1,886 races and training 54 individual stakes winners

Jockeys

Legendary jockeys inducted into the Hall of Fame include such household names as Pat Day and Randy Romero, and historical legend Willie Simms. Pat Day mounted 40,298 Thoroughbred athletes and won 8,803 races between 1973 and 2005, including Hall of Fame inductees Lady’s Secret, Dance Smartly, and Easy Goer and the famous 1992 Kentucky Derby long shot Lil E. Tee. Randy Romero won riding titles at 10 separate tracks including Arlington and Belmont, won Breeder’s Cups on the legendary fillies Go for Wand and Personal Ensign, and rode 4,294 winners out of 26,091 mounts in the years 1973 to 1999. Willie Simms, who rode from 1887 to 1901, had Belmont, Preakness, and Kentucky Derby wins on different mounts, and led all American Jockey’s in wins the year 1894 with an unprecedented 33% win record. Jockeys with these talents and credentials make racing possible, connecting the indefatigable strength of a Thoroughbred champion with the know-how of a world-class trainer to create a racing powerhouse.

Blinkers On

Blinkers On Racing Stable, a leader in thoroughbred horse racing partnerships, brings together the finest in thoroughbred horse racing expertise with the best in business know-how, and above all, a team of people you can trust, to manage your investment. We are committed to helping you experience the joys of thoroughbred horse ownership. For more information on thoroughbred partnerships visit our website or request an information package about our partnership. Keep up with horse racing in California by reading our Blog, finding us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, checking us out on LinkedIn, or visiting our YouTube Channel!

 

Types of Horse Races – Claiming Races, Allowance Races, Stakes Races and Graded Stakes Races

Types of Horse Races

Claiming Races, Allowance Races, Stakes Races and Graded Stakes Races

Like any other sport, horse racing has varying levels of ability and experience.  Because of the variety in ability, class and experience, the industry has different types of races available so that horses can be entered in a race in which they have a legitimate chance to win.

Claiming Races

In claiming races, all horses entered have a price tag and are available to be “claimed” or purchased by anyone who has an owner’s license and funds to cover the price of the horse on deposit at the track.  The claim is placed in a claim box at the track before the start of the race.  At the end of the race, the horse is “claimed” by a new owner while the previous owner gets any purse won by the horse in that race.  Horses in claiming races are often older or have low to moderate ability.  More than half of all races are claiming races.

Allowance Races

In allowance races, the horses do not have a price tag and are not for sale.  The purse levels in allowance races are higher than claiming races because the horses are of a higher quality.  However, it is not unusual for a horse to go back and forth between claiming races and allowance races based on how the horse is performing at any given time.  Allowance races have conditions that horses must meet before they can be entered into the race.  Such conditions may include the weight  or sex of the horse, but normally these conditions have more to do with how often the horse has won and the purses the owner has taken.

Stakes Races

Stakes races have higher purses than claiming or allowance races due to the tougher competition and higher level of ability of the competing horses.  In stakes races, owners contribute to the purse of the race through entry fees or nomination fees at the race track.  Each race has certain conditions that must be met before a horse enters the race.  These conditions can relate to the horse’s racing record, sex, age, etc.

Graded Stakes Races

Graded stakes races are the top of the line in horse racing.  The top horses are usually found in graded stakes racing, which offers the highest purses.  Graded stakes racing terms are applied by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.  In order to race a horse in a graded stakes race, the owner must pay a “stake” or an entry fee.  In some races, there are weight limits and others require certain genders, classes and ages to be entered.  The Preakness, Belmont Stakes and the Kentucky Derby are all graded stakes races.

Knowing the various types of horse races can be helpful, especially for those who are considering investing in horse racing, either through the purchase of a horse or investing in a racing partnership.

Blinkers On

Blinkers On Racing Stable, a leader in thoroughbred horse racing partnerships, brings together the finest in thoroughbred horse racing expertise with the best in business know-how, and above all, a team of people you can trust, to manage your investment. We are committed to helping you experience the joys of thoroughbred horse ownership. For more information on thoroughbred partnerships visit our website or request an information package about our partnership. Keep up with horse racing in California by reading our Blog, finding us on Facebook, following us on Twitter, checking us out on LinkedIn, or visiting our YouTube Channel!