FOX 56, Pocket Aces Racing to get a behind the scenes look at horse ownership

LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — As Kentuckians, horse racing is all around us. Yet, some may not know what it takes to produce a horse that races toward the finish line.

This is why FOX 56 is partnering with Pocket Aces Racing to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look into being a horse owner.

We will show you over a long span what it takes to raise a thoroughbred that is looking to strike it rich.

It first starts with picking a horse. FOX 56 will invest in three thoroughbreds.

Our partners have spent lots of time at Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale, and as they say, it is a high-stakes game that deals with intuition and trust.

Jared Shoemaker, Business Manager with Pocket Aces Racing, said, “Every one of these is a potential Derby or Oaks winner, you know, you just don’t know yet.”

Marc Wampler, Racing and Bloodstock Manager, Pocket Aces Racing, said, he watches for how a horse is built, how it stands, and “I watch them walk around the back ring, watch them walk, watch them walk, and wait to see, we call it ‘pulling you off the wall.'”

What the vet reports say is important too, which was a big teller for a particular horse he really liked.

“The thing about a racehorse is it’s a chain; they’re only as strong as their weakest links. So, he’s got this, I love him, I want to buy him, I want to pursue this, but he’s got a specific problem in his knees that I just can’t live with,” Wampler said.

It may take looking at thousands of horses to find one that checks all the boxes.

“We anticipated we would spend at least $80,000 for him; we liked him that much,” Wampler said.

Then, a big decision is made.

“We’re in a seller’s market right now, but there’s so many horses that you can still find value. There’s going to be horses that fall through the cracks, and we were going to go double, so yeah, really happy with him.”

Be sure to stay tuned to FOX 56 as we go through this process.

Next week, viewers will see which horses are chosen for our station to own a piece of.

Those at home can be involved too. Down the road, viewers will help us name the horses that we hope to see in the winner’s circle.