MUNDY HEADS TO THE POST
Canterbury Racing Club’s first race of 2013 is Friday night, June 14, when Mundy goes postward in the 4th race in a $16,000 claiming race going 7 1/2 furlongs over the turf course.
I’ll do a complete rundown of the race later in the week, but it is going to be a pretty tough race with some talented runners. Morgans a Blumin is making her return to the races in the race and last out winners Machorina and Inside Deal are also included. This is what you get once you hit the $16,000 level here – some legitimate horses in a very competitive race.
EDDY WILL WORK ONE MORE TIME
As mentioned last time, after his last work it showed that Eddy’s fitness level needed some boosting. He was scheduled to work 5 furlongs this morning but the weather postponed that move. He will go as soon as possible and then we’ll evaluate him. From what we’ve seen so far, though, all looks good and we’ll be entering for as early as next weekend.
PADDOCK AND WINNERS’ CIRCLE ACCESS
Obviously we can’t have 200 people in the paddock and winners’ circle, so I will be splitting the list of the group up and randomly assigning folks numbers 1 through 5. Group 1 will be able to access the paddock and, hopefully, winners’ circle, the first race we run. Group 2 the 2nd, Group 3 the 3rd, etc. I will send that out by email later this week so keep an eye out – it will come either directly from myself or via Jeff. Please limit access to you and one guest. With the fields filling up there is less room in the paddock and we need to be cognizant of the other owners and trainers as well as the horses in the walking ring.
Canterbury Racing Club 
Why not do it like last year by letters of the alphabet? It seemed to work and not everybody goes to every race.
I’ll look at the list and try and split it equally – it may be alphabetically or just down the list in the order I have it.
It has worked in the past – let’s see what happens!!
Yaaay!!!!
I DID wonder how we would all fit in the Winner’s Circle! Good idea to assign numbers. Let’s hope it will be a problem that needed solving. 🙂
Am excited about seeing Mundy run, we will be there!
I do understand about not having a lot of people in the paddock, it’s better for the horses. I am very disappointed, however, about not being in the winner’s circle if we should win a race or two this summer. That’s one of the highlights of being an “owner”! Is there possibly a solution? Not everyone is there for every race……etc. I’m sure you have thought of these things, but, I am disappointed.
Though not everyone comes we do not know how many of the 179 club members (plus guests) could show up and there is not way the winners’ circle can accommodate that many people. To try and make it fair for everyone we want to give everyone a chance.
Ted, when you say maybe next weekend for Eddy, do you mean the same weekend as Mundy or the weekend after that?
Could be the Sunday after Mundy runs.
I too am bummed about the limited access to the winner’s circle this year. Last year we rotated for paddock access but were all able to enter the winner’s circle (and I believe the group had approximately 140 members last year – which is not too much smaller than this year’s group). The highlight of my horse “ownership” was getting the photo of myself in the winner’s circle (albeit w/100+ co-owners) – and I know others in this group feel the same way. I understand the group is bigger this year, but only having a chance to go to the winner’s circle once in every five races takes a little luster off “ownership” for me. As JD suggests, maybe you can come up with a better way to limit paddock access but still give us a better chance of getting in the winner’s circle.
I will look into it and see what we can come up with.
You are correct. I would be dissapointed, too!!
My solution to the Winner Circle photos is that “owners” only and no guests can enter. Guests would be welcome in the saddling paddock and we could be split into groups for that privilege.
I like that Janet. Thanks.
I like that idea also. Thanks for the suggestion!
YEP!!
Are we still looking for more horses?
No. We are done for now. It’s important to make sure that money us available for all the bills to get paid. You plan for the worst and work for the best: I want us to win every race we’re entered in and earn a boatload of purse money, but in case we never see the winners’ circle, I want to make sure the bills get paid. Now are we still keeping an eye out in case one of ours gets claimed? Yes, we are. But we have a full compliment for now.
Will Mundy scratch out if the race is taken off the turf? The long range firecadt looks good but with tge way it has been….
Good question. Since we apparently woke up this spring in the Pacific Northwest, we need to plan for that. She has run pretty poorly in her dirt tries, but two of those were also stakes races. Her wet track Tomlinson number is 430 (that’s the number in parenthesis in the upper right of the past performances next to “Wet”, “Turf” and “Dist”. The number is a calculation based upon the performance of relatives on the type of surface and distance. It’s not an indicator of actual ability but more of an indicator of potential ability.) which indicates if the track is sloppy she should do okay. She’s never run on a wet track, though, so we have no actuals to go on. If the track were just good, I would think about scratching but if it were full on sloppy, I would lean toward running.
Whatever you decide is ok by me. It’s very cool!
I agree with Janet . No guests or children in the winnner’s circle (Sorry to the families w/kids but children can’t sign the contract and be ‘owners’). Everyone will have a chance to be in the paddock sometime this summer. Why not take two winner’s circle photos?? I’m sure you can figure out a way to get the 1st group of people out one gate while the 2nd group of people file in for their picture. EJ is right, the Winner’s Cicle Photo is what makes being an owner is all about!!
The “no guest” suggestion is a very good one. The problem last year was the amount of time it took to get everyone into the WC for the photo. The horse needs to get unsaddled, cooled out and over to the test barn after the race and the amount of time for the one large group to get in for the picture was tough.
Shoot, that’s too bad. Maybe just limit entry to the WC to the 1st [pick a number] of people that get there….I know not everyone will be able to make every race. Why not do the “honor system” and if you have already been in the winner’s circle once this year, don’t go down to the WC at all. That will give every person the chance to get at least one WC photo this year! I’m happy with taking home one.
Kathy, I just want to end up in the WC a few times. It’s amazingly hard to do and I hope we’re not jinxing ourselves putting the cart before the horse, so to speak!
We’ll get everyone involved and in a picture – lets hope we have this issue all summer long!
The more I thought about not being able to be in the winner’s circle, the less sleep I got last night. It’s hard enough to win a race and being in the circle is one of the thrills that goes along with it.
We were in the Club for the first time last year and when Lovely Tak was our first winner there was no way to explain that feeling. Pouring into the Winner’s Circle with the rest of the group that was there was fun and truly exciting. I treasure our win pictures since it’s probably the only way I will ever get even close to being an owner of a racehorse.
If we can’t be in the winner’s circle (and therefore also the paddock) why even go to the track? It really takes away from the whole experience. Before joining the Club last year we were lucky to get to Canterbury a couple of times a year. Once we were in the Club we went several times and not only when one of our horses was running. We live a ways away and not everyone in our family is that interested in horses. Being part of the Club was a way to introduce many others to the experience and they discovered they really liked it.
I am in favor of the owners only in the Winner’s Circle policy since it should help control the crowd level. However, frankly, I would find it very disappointing to not be able to participate if one of our horses should win. For example, what if we only had 2 wins the whole summer? Only 2 groups would be able to participate and the rest would be left out.
PLEASE – find a way for all the owners to be a part of it for all our winners!
JD – sorry about your sleep pattern. We will try the members only policy and see if it works. If it does, that will be great. If people try to have their ‘just one exception’ then it won’t work and we’ll need to come up with another way. I’m willing to give it a shot and see what happens.
Quite frankly, I just would like to win a race and actually have this problem.
Thank you, appreciate the consideration. Let’s all make this work!
Hey Ted, is there anyway we could take two WC photos and then “photo shop” the winning horse into the second photo after the horse leaves the 1st WC photo?? Just an idea….
Interesting idea!
I’m new this year, but I agree only owners should be in the winners circle if there is a limit.
I am not familiar with what the club does on race day. Do we meet someplace to get into the paddock?
Hope to meet some more members of the club this Friday.
We’re working on a race day location where we can all watch the races from. I’ll let you know about that on Thursday. I will also post the groups for paddock access on Thursday as well. After the previous race is completed, I will make my way to the paddock and those of you in the group should make your way over there as well and we’ll gather around Mundy’s number on the grass. If we have a Club location I will be there to watch the race before ours and then we can go over together. See you on Friday and good luck to us!
In case there is a winning Ask Eddy or Mundy circle celebration, I would love to be there but since there are soooooo many co-owners …. How about creating a big round light-weight disk on a plastic chain to wear around the neck that says something like: ‘ I’m a member of the Canterbury Race Club and one of the co-owners of Ask Eddy and Mundy’ Either name or both names could be sticky taped on the emblem. Need to be flexible in case one or both horses might pack up and leave. Needless to say I would wear the emblem whether or not our charges win. I would not have to be in the winners’ circle but with that emblem, I’d be hovering close by.
Wow, Inside Deal looks tough. The whole field looks pretty good.
It is a deep field and this is what we get when we go a little bit higher up the class ladder. Should be a very exciting finish.
Inside Deal last ran and won an allowance and a $25,000 claiming race, why the big drop? Is there really that little difference between a $16,000 and a $25,000 claimer? I realize she’s run at the $16,000 level before but why drop down after winning two at the higher levels? Thanks.
Excellent question and one that is a little difficult to answer because we don’t know the horse and what’s going on with it. It could be that the horse is a bit injured and they are hoping for a claim. It could be that they can see her form tailing off and are dropping her. They may want everyone to THINK that there is an issue so they can try and nab a relatively easy win. Races may not be filling at the higher claiming level or the next level allowance and they have to race her somewhere. There is a lot of poker played in the claiming game as well as outside factors that can affect where you can enter/race.
I agree with everyone that the people listed as the owners in the group should be the only ones allowed in the WC. Just to make sure, have a check in list at a table,sure there be someone that be willing to check people in. Also, maybe have a mock license for them, that way it helps knowing whos suppose to be in the WC, gives the a memento and gives the feels like the true ownership experience.
I know when I got my license last year it was a different feeling then just being at the track. For JD and others, there are many ways to get into the sport for very little. I myself last year got into it for under $1000 and that included the license, fingerprints, Canterbury Club and another race group.
I wouldn’t mind getting a license. But how do you get involved? Where? Who? What other group/s? How do you know if it’s a good one? Is that all you spent or are there ongoing costs? Is the group just as big or what size is it?
I realize one can go online and maybe find some partnerships being advertised for Canterbury racing, but how does one tell if it’s being run by someone reputable?
Is there any group where you are able to visit the horses at will (with proper notification and respect for the training etc.)? Talk with the trainer?
I realize I’m asking a lot of questions, but I’ve always wanted to be a racehorse owner. I’m retired now but don’t have a lot of extra income, that’s why CRC has been so much fun for me. I’d be willing to pay a little bit more for a bit more involvement.
I’m going to let the group jump in on this since I run outside partnerships of my own. What I would say generally is that there are a lot out there and they all can be different with differing entry points, different cost structures and different ways that they are run. Reach out to them, ask questions, be thorough and be comfortable with whom you choose. Ask around (like you’re doing now) and get input from people who have been involved in them.
Well first thing I did was have a goal what I wanted to accomplish for the year. Second I looked at my finances and decided what I could afford my finaces are limited too. Joined the Canterbury Club when I heard about it at the handicaping class at the track. Then the day of the Kentucky Derby last year I went to the New Owner Seminar put on by the MTA (Minnesota Thourghbred Association). There I recieved a flyer on a horse which at the time it was just a partnership for the Canterbury season last year. I researched the horse that was on the flyer and then called the race manager and talked with him and asked a bunch of questions. Felt that all my questions were answered and that any that I would have would be addressed. Rechecked the finances (tax refund) and met up with him last season opening night and got licenced (need it if you own 5% or more of a horse) right there. Ended up with a couple 3rds, a 4th and 6th in 4 starts. Just starting my 2nd season as a part owner and so far achieved all my goals I set so far all by research, listening watching and asking questions. If anyone wants to ask me more I can be available to try to answer.
Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. Can someone enlighten me on the ongoing costs? What’s the lowest range someone could possibly be a part owner with?
JD – the first part of your question is a variable depending upon the trainer – some trainers charge more per day than others. A healthier horse incurs lower vet costs than a sore one, etc. On average the cost to keep a horse in training in MN with a top trainer runs about $2500 a month including normal vet bills. If you start running into issues where testing and procedures are needed, it can go much higher.
Part two varies among partnership groups. I know some that are in the low hundreds of dollars for just 1 or 2 percent to big outfits like West Point Thoroughbreds where 5% shares can run as high as $10,000 or more and there is every range in between. One thing that rings true for anything – if it sounds too good to be true it probably is and NO ONE can guarantee you that you’ll make money in this game. Others may have more specific input.
Thanks again for the responses. I do realize the approximate cost per month of a horse. OK – I’m going to be blunt here – if one only has $100-200 per month to spend is it hopeless to hope to own part of a horse? I do understand there would be some cost upfront in the purchase of the horse.
At $100 – $200 of ongoing expenses you’re looking at being able to carry anywhere from 5 – 8% of an average racehorse. Certainly not out of the realm of possibility as long as expenses don’t jump up on you – and they can w/ injury, illness, a long losing streak, etc. And while 5% of a $5000 claimer is affordable up front, there are probably more health issues than with a classier horse though 5% of a $16,000 horse is much more expensive up front. Try to never overextend and be conservative in your planning. If you want to talk a bit off-line about the way I structure our groups, drop me a line at ted@grevelisracing.com, but this really isn’t the forum for me to do that.
Thanks. I’ll do that sometime soon. Appreciate your help.
Good Luck to Mundy on Friday Night. Won’t be able to make this weekend’s races as Canada’s walleyes are calling……. Hope she runs great for all that are there! Have a winner’s circle picture for us!
I see that Eddy worked out today, (5F in 1.00.80 breezing 2/15) how did he come out of it?
Good. That will be the subject of a new post shortly.
There will be a reserved area in Silks Bar for the Canterbury Racing Club for those that wish to congregate there…….
now if someone could make sure we stay omn the turf…….