Canterbury Opens Door to Ownership

How do we get new owners in the game?  It’s a question that the industry has been asking for a long time.  Owner and breeder groups have been putting on “New Owner Seminars” for years and every once in a while a celebrity owner like Bobby Flay or Jim Rome shines the spotlight on the sport, but more often than not, all that serves to do is reinforce the image of racing as an expensive luxury inaccessible to the middle class or a mystery shrouded riddle that could only be accessed by those “in the know”.

In 2009 Canterbury Park boldly stepped out to draw back the curtain and pull its fan base into the action by forming the Canterbury Racing Club.  For $250 a person could buy into the Club and feel the joy of ownership without having to risk another dime.  The initial Club drew 60 participants and campaigned a winning filly name Tahitian Queen.  

The goal was to provide an educational experience for owners and give them the opportunity to see what it was like to own a racehorse.  A blog was created where they could follow the action and also keep track of the monthly financial transactions.  Videos from the trainer and jockey were posted to give members an understanding of what goes on during the training period between races.  It was a way to demystify racing.

 

Since 2009 the Club has more than doubled in size and has gone from a single horse to a multiple horse stable with last year’s Club topping 140 members.  With the partnership with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (Mystic Lake Casino) heading into its first full season the stewards of the Club the last several years, Jeff Maday and Andrew Offerman, are stretched to limit with other responsibilities.  This year I will be stepping in and managing the Club for Canterbury.  I’m looking forward to building on the tremendous success that the Club has had and we’re hoping for an even larger membership this year.

Club “graduates” have gone on to form their own partnerships and buy and race their own horses, perhaps not in overwhelming numbers, but the fact that some have, and that the club keeps growing every year, are indications that there is movement in the right direction.  Add in Canterbury’s three consecutive years of record average daily attendance numbers and there is a lot of positive going on right now at the Shakopee oval.

Here is how the Club is structured:

Each membership is $250.  No other funds will be required.  The member will receive free admission to Canterbury Park for the season and admission to the paddock and winners’ circle (these two may need to rotate depending upon the size of the membership).  When possible, we will also try and set up a reserved area for the group on race days.  We will also set up backside tours during the season to try and give members a glimpse of life on the backstretch.

The number of members will determine the number of horses we will claim.  Clay Brinson, the outstanding trainer that worked with the Club last year has signed on board for another season and, if the demand is enough for additional horses, Canterbury Park Hall of Famer Bernell Rhone will also train for the team.

Interested folks can fill out the 2013 Club Enrollment Form to get started.  We’ll be taking memberships into March, but the sooner we know the size of the group, the better we can plan our strategy. 

 

I’m very happy to be a part of the Club this year, but I’m even happier that Canterbury Park has taken such a pro-active role to get new owners into the game.  It’s a model worth emulating.

Summer Bird Has A New Barn

A couple of hours ago, Tim Ice was fired as the trainer of Summer Bird by owner K.K. Jayaraman. Of course the Eclipse winning Summer Bird was only the top name of the Jayaraman Stable that was removed from Ice's care. Twenty four other horses were also taken from Ice and moved to trainer Tim Ritchey. In the Yahoo! Sports article, the reason cited by Jayaraman was "a lack of communication".


Admittedly, I know nothing about the circumstances surrounding the split, but it does open up a conversation about trainer communication and what is and isn't enough. I think a lot has to do with the personality of folks involved. A controlling person probably needs more care and feeding than a laissez faire owner. I fall somewhere in between myself. I have enough trust, faith and confidence in my trainers to let them do their job. By the same token, though, as a syndicator I have a responsibility and an obligation to make sure the partners in the horse are well informed of their progress. Part of my thought process when dealing with my partners is that the more involved in the process they are, the more enjoyment they'll get out of owning a racehorse.


At this point in our 2010 Claiming Partnership we have the money and now we're shopping. Not much to report on that front, but I sent a note out to the group anyhow on Friday just to let them know we're still looking. I actually feel guilty that I haven't sent anything out since then, but there really isn't anything new to report - and it's only been 4 days! Maybe that's a bit overboard, but the point is that you're better off being a little more communicative than less.


I try to set aside a set day and time to touch base with my trainer(s). I don't try and take up too much of their time, I just want to get a rundown on any aches and pains, how galloping has been going, any works the horse may have had and where we are pointing them for their next race. That's all I really need on a weekly basis. Of course that's pretty easy when you only have a handful of horses in training. What happens when I have 25? I have to say that I don't really know, though I'm looking forward to having that problem. I would think that more extensive communication would be required - possibly to the degree of receiving written updates on a regular basis. While it's hard for a trainer to find that kind of time, if you multiply a day rate of say $70 times 25 horses, I would think you'd make the time for someone paying you $1750 a day plus a cut of the purses.


Some trainers are of the opinion that owners are like mushrooms: just keep them fed, watered and in the dark. I don't know if Tim Ice is that kind of trainer. Some owners are overbearing, think they know better than the professionals they hire and change trainers like they change underwear. I don't know if K.K. Jayaraman is that kind of owner. I like to think that my position is a bit of the middle ground and I'm fortunate that my trainers are open to dialogue and discussion. I also like to think that neither of us would have it any other way.

It Was Fun...But Needs Work

So the first installment of this Blog on live radio is in the archives on Blog Talk Radio. It was a fun experience, but after reviewing the game films, there is much I need to work on. Here is a brief recap of what I learned last night:

• I was still plagued by the "ums". Not as badly as in the rehearsals, but still there.
• I need to slow down a bit. Anything I had that was prepared sounds like I rushed through it.
• I need to have more prepared material. Until things get rolling and there are enough callers to support the format, I have to be prepared to go the distance solo.
• The audio needs work. I need to touch base with the BTR folks and find out why the feed is so choppy. It's distracting and off-putting - the last two things I need while trying to get this rolling.

I did manage A caller (bless you, Lloyd) and 18 live listeners. Certainly not stellar, but then again, neither was I! Since last night the broadcast has been downloaded about a dozen times, which is nice as well. So the potential is there but to reach it I need to do better. The game plan is to learn off of this experience, keep practicing and keep going.

Topics that I hope to cover in future segments include drugs in racing, the surface debate, retiring racehorses and year round racing. You can listen to an archived recording of the show by clicking the link above or the Blog Talk Radio button on the top left of the page. If you have any other ideas and/or thoughts, please fire them my way. I would appreciate it.

Writer's Frustration

This is kind of like writer's block except that you get so frustrated that you don't know what to write. When I started this blog, though, I promised to share all aspects of horse ownership and frustration sure is a part of it.

This year she came out of the blocks on fire, but after those first three wins, she's been average at best. Today unfolded pretty much like I thought it might - though with a decidedly different result. Marg's Ideal raced out to a quick lead as she is wont to do and I Am Woman followed. Unfortunately, Fancy Creek Queen kept I Am Woman parked through the turn until she finally made the pocket when they straightened out. I had a hunch it was over for her then...I was right.

As they made their second pass on the half mile oval at Maywood Park, Real Peachy made a bid for the lead and locked our gal in. The sad thing - Peachy didn't stand a chance in this one but pretty much sealed our fate. Nothing opened up until they straightened for home and when driver Brandon Simpson asked her she had nothing and faded to fourth. In the interim, Maggies' Dream, three wide throughout the last quarter, dropped in class and smoked the field in a very impressive performance.

We got beat by a better mare tonight - I just hope now we stop spending money on Late Closer's that I Am Woman clearly cannot compete in yet...and may never. Nothing wrong with being a low level claimer but at least know it and adjust accordingly.

The again, maybe it's the writer's frustration talking...maybe that's all it is...