Purchasing

Purchasing

PURCHASING RACEHORSES:

Select the sale or racetrack where you wish to purchase your equine investment, and what type of purchase you wish to make, whether yearling, weanling, etc. Important considerations include the location where you make your purchase, the state breeding program incentives and the historic prices of that sale if you purchase at a public sale. Be sure to have some knowledge of price averages and median prices, and other important facts before going to the sale.

Subject	Advantages	Disadvantages	Notes
Pedigree Selection	Play the percentages. It can improve your chances for success.	The more the pedigree tells you, the more it tells others. The price usually goes up with this extra knowledge.	Sometimes, "Horses for Courses" can help get you the right horse for your area and still only cost a reasonable price.
Vetting Your Horses	Gives you soundness reports on your horse and what problems might occur when trying to race the horse.	Although vets have great intelligence, they do not have a crystal ball and can steer you off a good purchase.	Horses change and they grow in and out of things. The horses you buy today, may not be the same horses when they grows up.
Agents	Know Bloodlines and Conformation and End Use Markets.	Can be very limiting or be pushing a certain sire’s offspring or auction consignments.	Agents vary so pick the one that helps you express yourself.
Trainers	They know what faults they can live with at the track and what faults should not effect racing.	Most often, trainers cannot determine the variables of end value of the horse.	There are exceptions to the rule. Probably it is best to use both trainer and bloodstock agent
Age Factors	Usually the older the horse the more you know.	The more you know, the more expensive the purchase.	There are always exceptions. Remember John Henry.