Horse racing has a far more detailed history than most other sports.
The reasons for this are twofold. First, horse racing has existed as an organized sport for hundreds of years. Many of the key races in the United States date back to the 1860s, while major races in Europe date back a century longer. Many of the venues built for the initial runnings of these events still stand today, such as Saratoga in upstate New York.
Secondly, Thoroughbred racing has always been intertwined with the betterment of the breed, and the horses who have the best racing performances inevitably get to pass on their genes to the ensuing generations. The meticulous documentation of breedings has ensured that it is easy for people who purchase Thoroughbreds today to truly know their horses’ roots and continue to, as the old saying goes, “breed the best to the best and hope for the best.”
There are many ways to invest in the sport of Thoroughbred racing, and the timing has never been better. Here are some of the most accessible ways.
The Apps
Horse racing, although an ancient sport, has made great strides to keep up with modern technology.
Most potential racing fans these days do not live near a horse farm or a race track- but nearly all of them have a smartphone. So, if you are wondering: how does horse betting odds work? Well, nowadays there are a lot of apps who teach you everything you need in a few minutes.
There are several apps which are easy to access that allow for a user to quickly and safely participate in the sport, even if they are unable to attend live races. These apps, such as TwinSpires (which is owned by Churchill Downs, the host of the Kentucky Derby), stream races from all over the world.
Users can make small investments of their own simply by placing bets on the races. These apps allow for speedy and safe transfers of money, and payouts are delivered straight to the user’s account as soon as the race is made official. These apps are an excellent way for a newbie anywhere in the world to become familiar with the sport.
The Tracks
If you wish to invest on a larger scale, you might want to look into the tracks themselves. Some, such as Churchill Downs, Inc., are publicly traded companies on the NASDAQ or the New York Stock Exchange. Churchill Downs showed a spike in value in early 2023, peaking at a closing
price of $244.33 before leveling off at around $130, which is a good bit of growth compared to closing prices in both 2022 and 2021.
The Horses
Having ownership in a quality racehorse used to be reserved solely for the aristocratic class. However, with the advent of micro-share ownership groups such as MyRacehorse and Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, that is no longer the case.
People who invest in the sport in this way can spend as little as $50.00 to own a small fraction of a racehorse. Granted, they are unable to make monumental decisions about the horse they own shares of, but they are able to receive personal updates and information about the horse, schedule visits on certain days, and even receive small monetary bonuses if the horse performs well at the racetrack.
Just like any other form of horse ownership, the investment is somewhat of a gamble. Some horses owned by these groups never actually make it to the race track, much less win a race. However, Authentic, owned by MyRacehorse owners in 2020, and Mage, who won the most recent Kentucky Derby renewal, were both partially owned by microshare groups.
