Horse racing journalist and handicapper who covered the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont and Breeders’ Cup for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
HORSE BETTING GUIDE · RACING TERMS
Reviewed by the Horse.bet Team
How much does a racehorse cost? — explained: Tricky question, as the answer, is both “a lot” and “not very much.”
Amounts are per betting unit — switch to £ or € above. Real dividends depend on the pool and the currency of the track.
Tricky question, as the answer, is both “a lot” and “not very much.”
There are many ways to acquire a racehorse: You can buy one at a public auction, through a private arrangement with its owner, or even by breeding your own runner. You can also buy fractional shares in a horse through numerous racing partnerships that have blossomed in recent years, sometimes by investing as little as $100.
One thing to keep in mind if you decide to try ownership: Spending more does not guarantee success.
The best-known example of this is The Green Monkey, which sold for a world record $16 million in a 2-year-olds in training sale. Unfortunately for his owners, the Coolmore Stud connections of Michael Tabor , Susan Magnier and Derrick Smith, the colt only raced three times and managed a single third-place finish before retiring with earnings of $10.440. Read also about the money you need to start betting on horse racing .
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