The seventh installment in the 2024 OwnerView webinar series was held Sept. 3 and discussed the pros and cons of buying and racing on an international stage.
The conference is hosted by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and presented by Bessemer Trust, Stoll Keenon Ogden, and The Green Group. Centennial Farms and Coolmore America sponsored the panel.
West Point Thoroughbreds sponsored a question-and-answer session, and attendees could ask questions through a link, which were then answered at the end of the webinar.
The panel consisted of Garrett O’Rourke, general manager of Juddmonte Farms; Peter Bradley, founder of Bradley Thoroughbreds; and Phillip Shelton, racing manager of Medallion Racing. Gary Falter, project manager for OwnerView, moderated.
The webinar began with a discussion of the similarities and differences between racing in the United States and abroad concerning topics such as facilities, weather, and prestige.
When O’Rourke was asked about Juddmonte’s process when it comes to where they race their horses and how they decide to keep their horses racing either abroad or in the United States, he said, “It used to be, years ago, sometimes when Lasix was allowed over here (the United States), we would bring a horse that maybe needed Lasix, but that’s not an issue anymore.”
Lasix, a diuretic, is used to control respiratory bleeding in racehorses, but has been phased out of stakes and 2-year-old racing over much of the country amid claims of overuse and the medication improving performance through weight loss.
He also noted that the playing field is more level around the world now.
Falter asked Bradley, who has had great success in France with group 1 winner Metropolitan , how he has bought horses through international sources and had such successes. Bradley commented that it’s a combination of hard work and luck.
Next, Falter discussed how American owners can “get their foot in the door” when it comes to becoming an owner of an overseas horse.
“I think the biggest thing is that in Europe, because the (lower) purse money is the way it is, you have a lot more people that are willing to sell,” said Shelton. “In Europe, the price point’s a lot different, the opportunities are a lot different, and potentially the upside can be there.”
When asked what can be done to attract more overseas owners to race in the U.S., Bradley said, “Each country has a concierge service in Europe that is funded by the government, you know, and/or the racetracks. … Here, we still have each racetrack as a fiefdom.”
A centralized marketing system was highlighted by Bradley as well.
The panel advised U.S. owners wanting to buy or race internationally. They agreed that focusing on international affairs, asking questions, and looking into partnerships with groups already familiar with the process are key.
The replay of Tuesday’s Thoroughbred Owner Conference panel is available online.
Three additional Thoroughbred Owner Conference virtual panels are scheduled for 2024.
The next session, “Agents & Advisors,” will be held Oct.1 at 2 p.m. ET. A full schedule can be found here.
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 panels and registration, please visit ownerview.com/event/conference or contact Gary Falter at 859.224.2803 or gfalter@jockeyclub.com.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
