trainers/owners making the right decisions?

[Toccet02]

What percentage of race horse connections would you say tend to make logical and lucrative level decisions for their horses?
For example, letting a claimer race in and win, earning lots the hard way, as opposed to dreamers entering poor horses in graded stakes repeatedly with the horse usually off the board.

So far, my fantasy stable horses seem to be well-placed and succeeding. I have a 47% ITM percentage. I realize I owe much of that to the connections. But I always assumed there were a lot of impulsive and bad decisions out there. Too cynical?

Thoughts?

[Dave C]

The trainers on the board here will tell you they make virtually all their money from their percentage of the purse. Consequently, trainers always want the horse placed where it will win. An owner who wants to dream usually has to find him/herself a new trainer.

[bdw0617]

higher than what people might think. the higher the class of horse the more delusional usually


there are a few high name trainers whoose names i wont' get into, one in particular i don't see how in the hell he gets anything remotley talanted with his track record of good horses and no it's not d wayne

[ageecee]

Trainers-80%

Owners-10%

[Hotwalker]

most horsemen are realistic with what they have and enter at a competitive level.

[Hops]

Jess Jackson is an aberration. Most owners I know defer decisions on where to spot horses to the trainer - entirely. And that's how it should be, IMO.

[bdw0617]

i could never be that type of owner. that's half the fun. i am not one to just send a check and show up. it has to be a mixture of the two, i tell you what i am thinking and you give me your professional opinion and what is in the horses best long term interest. but i could never jus0t send someone a check and show up to root for my horse. i have too much maggi moss in me for that.


there is a horse for instance running on the socal circuit that will run tomorrow for a tag for hte first time that i thougth had the chance to be really special or at least really good and has been ran into the ground now they are trying to get rid of him. i would not want to claim the horse and just let my trainer keep up with him i would want to lay him up for a while (which he needs bad)

the first time my trainer sent me a condition book with tape over or some crap like that i'd be done. then again i am quite sure i follow racing more than 95-98% of the owners out there

[Sysonby]

Toccet, you can't generalize about owners and trainers. Different people can have working arrangements that are successful. But a big key to success is being realistic and having the ability to drop to a competitive level. Sometimes owners hamper trainers in that regard. There are the sentimental or proud owners ie "I'm not risking my baby for a tag" and "my horses don't run cheap" and the opposite end of the spectrum "this horse cost $350,000--I can't debut him for $12,500" and "this filly is a half to a million dollar earner by Dynaformer. She should be running for $5000 at Penn National but I guess we can't do that".

I don't know how you picked your fantasy stable or how old the horses are in it but the hallmark of a good program is a willingness to make clear eyed hard choices and/or move horses out that aren't competitive. The trainers with horses who have fancy pedigrees or owners who spent a lot at the sales and have high expectations can sometimes be a little hampered more than the little guys with claimers.

[madelyn]

Well, I think when the trainer has been a part of the selection process of a six figure horse, there might be a reluctance to burst the owner's bubble when the horse doesn't live up to the expectations. So you will see those ones clambering around at the back of the pack for quite a lot of races before the horse gets dropped in class. It's a risky game.

It's different with homebreds, I think. While I think all of mine are stars, I don't have the same kind of $$ invested in them as owners who have high dollar sales horses or high dollar stud fee horses, which I believe allows me to be more practical. What it comes down to is that you shouldn't put more into a horse than you can afford to lose.

[fletch621]

My trainer and I are a team. We talk about what to do, decide where the horse has the best shot based on past races and current training condition and hope the horse fires. It's rare one of my horses isn't favored in the top three in their races. If they aren't, then they are not placed well more likely than not. I've only been a thoroughbred owner for two and a half years and we don't race a lot, but we always spot them the best we can. It's led to a record of 88-26-11-11 and over $325,000 in earnings... and my stable never has anymore than about 4 horses at a time in it. All claimers with a few allowance level wins thrown in. The key is research and making decisions as a team. The minute an owner gets the attitude that since they are ponying up the money they make the decisions is the minute they might as well get out of the game because they will just be pissing away cash. That's not to say they won't be right every once in a while.... but the lean times in between will hit their horsemans account pretty hard.

[zinn21]

Fletch, I have a similar relationship. I think it depends on the level of experience one has in the game. I think anyone buying their first horse who wants to put his/her foot in every decision is in for a rude awakening. On the other hand if you are a grizzled veteran you should be working with a trainer that values your input..

[Maureen]

In our trainer/owner relationship, we discuss our options, but ultimately, it is the decision of the trainer. He's the one who confers with the jock, the exercise rider, and the groom (who probably know more about the horse than anyone). Yay, Charlie!

We have to be realistic and run the horses where they belong. You've got big dreams? That bubble will soon be burst, and it won't be cheap. LOL