The seventh in the OwnerView 2024 webinar series was held on September 3 and discussed the pros and cons of buying and racing cars internationally.
The conference is organized by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Horse Owners and Breeders Association and presented by the Bessemer Trust, Stoll Keenon Ogden and The Green Group. Centennial Farms and Coolmore America sponsor the conference.
West Point Thoroughbreds sponsored a Q&A session and attendees were able to submit questions via a link, which were then answered at the end of the seminar.
The panel included Garrett O’Rourke, general manager of Juddmonte Farms; Peter Bradley, founder of Bradley Thoroughbreds; and Phillip Shelton, racing director of Medallion Racing. Gary Falter, project manager of OwnerView, served as moderator.
The webinar began with a discussion of the similarities and differences between racing in the United States and abroad regarding topics such as facilities, weather, and prestige.
When asked about Juddmonte’s process regarding where they race their horses and how they decide to keep their horses racing overseas or in the United States, O’Rourke said, “Years ago, sometimes when Lasix was allowed here (in the United States), we would bring a horse that might need Lasix, but that’s no longer the case.”
Lasix, a diuretic, is used to control respiratory bleeding in racehorses, but has been removed from 2-year-old racing across the country due to complaints of overuse and the drug improving performance through weight loss.
He also noted that the playing field is now more level around the world.
Falter asked Bradley, who has had great success in France with a Group 1 winner Urban How he bought horses through international sources and achieved such success. Bradley commented that it was a combination of hard work and luck.
Next, Falter discusses how American owners can “get their foot in the door” when it comes to owning a horse overseas.
“I think the biggest thing is that in Europe, because the premiums are so (low), you have more people willing to sell,” Shelton said. “In Europe, the prices are very different, the opportunities are very different and there is room for upside.”
When asked what could be done to attract more foreign owners to race in the United States, Bradley said, “Every country has a support service in Europe that is funded by the government and/or the tracks. … Here, we still treat each track as its own territory.”
Bradley also emphasized a centralized marketing system.
The panel advises U.S. owners looking to buy or race internationally. They agree that focusing on international issues, asking questions and seeking partnerships with teams familiar with the process are key.
A replay of Tuesday’s Thoroughbred Owners’ Meeting is available online.
Three more Thoroughbred Horse Owners Conference webinars are scheduled to take place in 2024.
The next session, “Dealers & Advisors,” will be held on October 1 at 2 p.m. ET. The full schedule can be found here. This.
There is no registration fee for the 2024 virtual conference series, but registration is required. For more information about the Owner Conference Series, including the schedule of workshops and registration, please visit ownerview.com/event/conference or contact Gary Falter at 859.224.2803 or [email protected].
This press release has been edited for content and style by the BloodHorse team.
