Registration is not yet open for 2016. Registration for new members will open February 1. If you’d like to be placed on the notification list for 2016, please email emeraldracingclub@gmail.com
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Welcome to the Emerald Racing Club! A fun, educational ownership club designed to introduce new people to the fun and excitement of racehorse ownership with a low-cost, low-risk opportunity.
You can own a racehorse for just $500! No monthly training fees, no hidden costs, no surprises!
$500 BUCKS! To OWN a racehorse.
What it includes:
- A racehorse (priceless!)
- Official Owner License issued by the Washington Horse Racing Commission ($108 value)
- Free admission for the entire season ($490 value)
- Owner Parking Pass ($490 value)
- Access to the restricted backstretch area to watch your racehorse train
- Paddock access on race day
- Guest passes to bring your friends and show off your racehorse!
- Share in the winnings!
The details of the program:
The Emerald Racing Club will acquire a racehorse privately or via claim for the 2016 racing season. The horse will be trained by Emerald Downs’ trainers Larry and Sharon Ross. Their other notable runners include Washington Hall of Fame inductee Military Hawk and 2014/2015 Longacres Mile winner Stryker Phd.
Updates will be posted here weekly and via email so you can follow your racehorse. While your Club membership is only $500, monthly financials will be shared with the group to provide a transparent and behind-the-scenes look into the real costs of owning a racehorse. All aspects of racehorse ownership will be explained.
are 200 people going to own the horse?
Hi Kimberly,
The club goal is 50 members. We will accept up to 200. Should we reach such an incredible number of members, we’ll purchase an additional horse. No additional fees should this happen.
Good thinking. Great idea. I’m in.
Will there be any fees, charges, etc. throughout the year? If not, do you anticipate the same deal will be available next year?
Hi Rod,
No additional fees, charges, etc. The only other charges I can anticipate are voluntary – say if the horse wins a race and you’d like to purchase a win photo, that would be done directly with the track photographer and is not included in club membership.
And to answer the second part of your question, we anticipate a similar structure for 2015 should this year prove to be a success!
When does 2015 open? I have a friend that wants to buy her son a membership this year.
Hi Ken!
I anticipate opening registration Feb 2015. Have them send over their email and I will add them to the notification list!
lets say the horse wins and you have 200 owners and they have family members how are you going to get that many people in the paddock and the winner circle? its an interesting idea! i’ve always have wanted to be apart of owning a race horse. Is this being done at other places? if so.. any success stories?
Hi Michael,
There will be a rotating schedule for the paddock as we are limited on space there. The Winner’s Circle can overflow onto the track for the all important win photo!
This has been successfully done at Canterbury Park for the last five years! We are modeling off their program.
Is the ownership contract for a year or for the duration of the horses racing career? Additional maintenance fees required after the initial racing season?
Thanks
Hi Brent,
The ownership contract is only for the 2014 season. The horse will be sold at the conclusion of the meet. No additional fees.
Very interesting idea…I think this will be successful…couple ?’s before I dive in head first.
1. If the horse wins, purse money is split evenly among all owners?
2. Age of horse we will be owning?
3. Will we have a say in placement of the races the horse will be entered in?
4. Has this horse proved successful in prior races or are we getting a maiden, first-time starter type horse?
5. Can you have multiple people put up $500 and they all would be part owners, sharing one share of the racehorse? Would only one person get credentials?
Anyway…it is a very intriguing proposition so with these ?’s answered that may just tip the scale…thanks!
Hi Brian,
Great questions!
1. The maximum amount you may receive at the end of 2014 is $500 unless determined otherwise by the majority vote of the members of the Club. I.e. if the horse makes enough that everyone receives their $500 and there’s additional money left in the account then it’s up to the group to decide if they would like the money to go to retired racehorse charity, split among the members or go to some other purpose.
2. We are looking for a three-year-old with conditions or an older open claimer. Our budget for the horse is $5,000 so the horse will likely be a $5,000 – $7,500 claimer which will have the most opportunities to race here at Emerald Downs.
3. No, all decisions related to the horse will be left to the Club manager and trainer.
4. The horse search is on! Our goal is to acquire a sound horse that can race frequently for the Club.
5. Each person that pays $500 will be licensed and will have an equal share of the horse. Each licensed individual will have their WHRC license for admission and have one owner parking pass issued.
so there is no payout of winnings per race? Shouldn’t we be able to recoup our investment as the season goes on????
Hi Charles,
The Club is designed as a non-profit, educational club. There is an opportunity to recoup your investment. The maximum amount you may receive at the end of 2014 is $500 unless determined otherwise by the majority vote of the members of the Club. I.e. if the horse makes enough that everyone receives their $500 and there’s additional money left in the account then it’s up to the group to decide if they would like the money to go to retired racehorse charity, split among the members or go to some other purpose.
What about legal liability, for instance, if someone should sue the club for some reason?
Hi Lauren,
If you can give a specific example of your concern then I can better address the question. The Emerald Racing Club is not a legal entity like a corporation. Each individual will be responsible for any tax liability, i.e. a 1099 will be issued at year end to each individual if warranted. The Emerald Racing Club will have a stable name registered with the Washington Horse Racing Commission as such, and a horsemen’s account reflecting the same.
sounds too good to be true sign me up Carl
Send in your registration form Carl! I’m saving you a spot!
How many owners do you have so far? Sorry if somebody asked this already but what happens if the horse is injured early in the season and can’t race anymore?
Hi Darryl,
We have ten owners committed thus far after three days. Our threshold we need to meet is 50, which I’m very optimistic about us achieving! If the horse is injured, the trainer and race manager will make the decision about what is right for the horse, i.e. rehab, etc. These are all factors we can’t control, but have prepared for with our budget prior to setting the membership price at $500 for the Club. If the horse is injured, treated, and there’s still room in the budget to acquire another horse, we will do so but not before fulfilling our responsibilities as owners to the first horse. The benefits of the owner license – free admission and parking, continue throughout the season regardless of whether the horse is able to compete.
If the horse gets claimed before the end of the season, especially early in the season, will you claim another one? Or is that the end of the road for the year?
Hi Chris,
If the horse is claimed early in the season we will look to claim the horse back or acquire another. It is a unique part of ownership that we will explore and explain in depth for club members as it goes along.
Hi Sophie,
Great program! How many races would our horse participate in (if all went well)?
Hi!
We are targeting a $5,000-$7,500 type claimer, which at Emerald Downs would have an opportunity to run about every two weeks assuming the race fills with entries and that the horse is sound. We are hoping the Emerald Racing Club horse could race once a month, but that is one factor we can only guess at.
Can I tell any of my friends or family about this opportunity or is this by invitation only?
Oh…and my form is on the way. I’m so excited!!!
Hi Joan,
I’ll keep an eye out for your form. And by all means, tell ALL your friends and family!
What if a person is interested but is unable to come up with the $500 by April, 1st? Is it possible to extend the deadline? And if so…by how long?
Hi Jeff,
Please email me privately at emeraldracingclub@gmail.com and explain your situation and we’ll see if we can work with you. We have some limitations with timing and licensing but let’s see what we can do.
I joined the Emerald Racing Club. I got my license today, 12-14. It was very easy. I’m excited to be a member. What makes the Club attractive is no monthly bills. Most other syndicates bill you monthly for trainer fees, vets, and other expenses.
Have you met your quota yet? I’m still trying to raise the money…
Hi Jeff,
As of today we are at 70 members, well over the threshold of 50 we needed to achieve. We will accept up to 200 members. Registration closes April 1.
I am so excited to meet our horse. I can’t wait! Have we bought our horse yet?
Hi Gina,
We were “out shook” on a horse this past weekend. More details on that in another blog but the search is underway with some nice prospects under consideration. The horse will be introduced to the Club as soon as it is acquired!
What track did you miss the shake on last weekend? I’m in the racing business at hastings and just interested in following your clubs success.
Thx
Brent
What is a horse is not acquired before the start of the season?
OK, so it costs $500 to get in, and “the maximum amount you may receive at the end of 2014 is $500”, while there is talk of “tax liability”??? Just how does that math work?
Furthermore, we have the track itself seeming partial to the race results once this thing gets off the ground, as all of the questions are fielded by, and the website is maintained by track personnel. That’s really great for the image of horse racing.
Like somebody said: it “sounds too good to be true”.
Hi Rocco,
If you continue reading the paragraph regarding the maximum amount it goes on to say that money beyond the $500 will be distributed based on the Club’s determination, I.e. Donate to retired racehorses, charity or return to club members. Should the amount returned to Club members then exceed $600 then there will be a tax liability on the income the Club member receives.
For example, if the horse wins a couple races and we have $20,000 to distribute at the end of the season and 100 members, then each person receives $200. No need for a club vote. The chances of tax liability are slim but nonetheless a possibility. All monies collected go to the club expenses. I am happy to share that budget with you if you’d like. The track doesn’t retain any of it. The benefit to Emerald Downs is that we get to introduce potential new owners to the sport in a new way and we have resources that help us do that – media to provide frequent updates, staff to provide stable tours, etc. The goal of the club is to be fun and educational while painting a clear picture of the real costs involved in racehorse ownership with an accounting and explanation of every dollar.
Questions are answered by myself and if I don’t know the answer I will try to find the right person. What’s wrong with a good thing? I hope you join the Club!
Sincerely,
Sophia McKee
Dir. Of Marketing
Emerald Downs
253-288-7719
Sophia Two questions. Yodeler had never run with blinkers until his last three races and he did well and seemed to like them. Will sharon put them on here at Emerald? In Yodelers P.P.s on Sept. 22 of 2012 he ran at Stockton, am I reading it right that he tied a track record for the distance 103.2 for five and one half furlongs? If so does it still stand? Thanks, Pete
Hi Pete,
Sharon will take a look at his replays before she makes a decision to go with blinkers. He’s won with them, and without them.
Depending on what resource you refer to, the track record for Stockton for 5 1/2 furlongs is 1:01.60 set in 1993 by Exceed Speed Limit.
How do I get on the waiting list for 2015?
I would like to get on the waiting list for 2015. Is this possible?
Hi Vicky!
Thank you for your interest in the Club. Please email emeraldracingclub@gmail.com and we’ll add you to the list. We anticipate opening registration in February 2015 for next year’s Club.
How does one enter this for 2015? Please email me with details.
Hi Sue,
Please email emeraldracingclub@gmail.com and we will add you to the notification list.
Please email emeraldracingclub@gmail.com with the contact email and we’ll add you to the notification list for 2015. I anticipate opening registration in February.
Can I sign up for next year now?
Hi Glenn,
Please email emeraldracingclub@gmail.com with the contact email and we’ll add you to the notification list for 2015. I anticipate opening registration in February.
Sophia
Iv’e heard some people asking about who gets to go to the paddock when Yodeler races. I know with so many people you are going to have to take turns with different races. It might be fair to let them in the order they signed up. I know when I signed up I was about 106th on your chart. If you know the order I don,t think anyone will object. Pete
Hi Pete,
We plan to do a random lottery to select out of the people that RSVP for the race day. We’ll continue to do random draw throughout the season until everyone has an opportunity to go through the paddock at least once. I’ll post more in a blog when we get closer, but the amount of people we can fit will depend on the number of horses entered. So I could potentially take 30 on on day, and 10 on another. Will depend on field size. Stay tuned!
what about using the date the member signed of the membership agreement,mine’s 2/25/2014 🙂
Are the conditions looking promising for Yodeler to race in the 7th on Sunday? Thanks Sophia~ BTW I hit the Super in the Preakness!!!!!!!
All looks good. Will update once entries close tomorrow. Great job on the Preakness!
Thanks Sophia! I will be at the track on Friday and Sunday should Yodeler be entered. Very exciting stuff 🙂
Sophia.
Is Yodeler running this sunday?
I’m in! I am super excited to see what horse we buy!
How many members are signed up so far for 2015?
Hi Erika!
We have 123 as of Feb. 9.
Sophia: When you get a chance could you post when the guest passes are available? Jan did not have them when I went down there Wednesday. Thanks so much.
Hi Sue,
I was told they should be in no later than next Friday (Feb. 27). I’ll send out an update once they are in.
Are they in?
They are!
I was a member last year and I’m taking my share and putting it in for 2016 membership but need to know if I need to come down for another picture and finger prints and background check and to pay my balance