Charles Davis Stables Review
This week starts the yearling sales season with the Blooded horse sale in Ohio kicking it off. These yearling will be trained and hopefully be brought to the races in 6 to 9 months as 2 year olds. The stable.ca, which is the organization that I am buying my 1% shares from, went to the auction and purchased a few yearlings. While I could not see who was bidding and who won an auction, I watched much of the sale from my computer. The auction was interesting to watch. Following along with the online catalog some of the horses sold for much more than I expected and some for much less. Of course, not being there to see the horse up close and look it over means you do not have a full picture of what the horse is like. Still the pedigree and watching the horse come to the auction block does give some help.
The Ohio bred horses are not my preference. I would rather have New York sired horses so they will race at the New York tracks. But I am flexible to a degree. One of the yearling looks very promising and the purchase price was much lower than I expected. I am waiting for her to go on the horse list and I will buy a 1% share.
The sale was a mixed sale which means not only were there some yearlings there are some older horses. Thestable.ca picked up a nice 3 year old trotting gelding. He has not raced much but does look good and the price was low. You can see a recent qualifying race. The video also above starts at the beginning of the 11th race. The horse is Scary Fast and is number 5 in that race sitting in 2nd place most of the race. You can also see his winning race on March 8. Go to the meadows website select March 8th and then Race 2. He is very impressive in both races. I will create a page for him in the next few days. Yes, he has been added to my 1% stable.
I am considering this the end of my first year back into Standardbred ownership. Excluding the horse from another stable that I consider just a bad investment because of bad management, I feel I had a very good year. I have 1% in five race horses.
- Amicus 2 year old Gelding Trotter – Racing
- Braonach 3 year old Filly Pacer – Racing
- Deweyann 2 year old Filly Trotter – turned out to mature
- Goulda Hanover 2 year old Colt Pacer – qualified but turn out to mature
- Sally De Vie 2 year old Filly Pacer – knee was stressed, treated and turned out to mature some more.
I am looking forward to the three that are turned out to start racing. At least some of their races will be in New York and all three are eligible to race in the stake races as a three year old. It is fine with me not to push a young horse too hard too soon. Their training up to the point they were turned out showed they will have what it takes to race.
Moving Forward
I am sure there will be those that will laugh at my stable. They will see Charles Davis Stables as an ego trip. 1% ownership is not much of an investment. Still it is mine, I have my USTA membership and my AGCO license. When one of MY horses is racing, I have the same rights as the owner who owns a $100,000 dollar horse.
With the upcoming yearling sales, I will likely pick up a few more 1% horses. I am even planning on attending a few sales in person. Check books and credit cards out of reach thank you very much. The investment I have so far in the horses from thestable.ca is less than what I had invested in the first horse. The monthly cost/risk for the horses I now have and plan on getting within my entertainment/ travel budget and will remain so.
My long range plan? I hope I can get a slot at the USTA driver school in 2018 class. I want to find a trainer that will allow me to work with them so that I can regain the skills I had before. I really miss jogging my horses. Within 18 months I want to get my limited trainers license and then buy my own horse.
I know I have many first steps to accomplish, such as finding a local trainer, but, I am rebuilding my library of books. I have started rereading books I knew by heart years ago. Reading everyday.
The 1% horses will still be a part of my stables but so will my own horse.