Trojan Racing Stable

How are the horses acquired?

We acquire horses on a variety of levels. Some are obtained via claiming races at the track. Most of our bloodstock acquisitions are purchased at sales auctions, or bought and sold privately.

Trojan Racing Stable (TRS) registers a claim with the racing office. As soon as the starting gate opens, the particular horse that we have filed a claim for, becomes our horse after the race. All money for the claim must be deposited with the race track Paymaster of Purses, in order for us to claim the horse. All paper work regarding the claim, must be accurately completed, no later than 14 minutes, before the race. As an owner you don’t have to worry about a thing. TRS Managing Member, Tom Specht, in conjunction with the trainer, handle all of the paper work details of the claim. Executing the claim, TRS wires the money directly from their business account to the purse master’s office at the track, where the claim is transacted.

What happens after a horse is purchased?

If the horse is claimed, it will undergo a strict veterinary evaluation in order to assure that our newly acquired runner is sound and healthy.

If the horse is healthy, and it has been lightly raced, it will run back within 3-4 weeks. On the other hand, if it’s a horse that has been running with regularity, we may decide to give the horse a brief vacation at a lay-up facility. This brief vacation will greatly enhance their racing performance. 

Remember, horses are like people with different personalities. They also need vacations and an opportunity to unwind from the daily rigors of training and racing.

After a Public or Private Sale 

After the racehorses are purchased from a sale we send them to Leland Decker's Green Valley Farm and Training Center. At Green Valley they are turned out and decompress from the stressful environment of the sales.

At the farm we will evaluate the growth pattern and mental maturity of the horse. In most cases, it’s not people deciding when a horse is ready to advance. Most of the time, horses will tell you when they are ready.

Unfortunately, many people underestimate the intelligence of horses and simply treat them as commodities. Horses are exactly like people with unique personalities. It’s always important to provide the horse with a positive experience. Just like people, if the horse is unhappy or in pain, it will not like what it is doing. Therefore, it’s imperative for the horse to always have a positive experience so they can perform to their utmost potential. This is where it’s necessary to have a horseman’s background. Because of our excellent horseman’s background and experience, this approach allows us to maximize the success of our equine athletes with careful decision making.

Several of our horses race in Southern California. The purses earned within this racing circuit are far greater than other venues.

Southern California comprises Santa Anita Park, Hollywood Park, and Del Mar. Occasionally, we may race in Northern California at Golden Gate Fields or one of the Summer Fair venues i.e. Pleasanton or Santa Rosa.

Our exceptional racehorses may run outside of California in Illinois, Kentucky, Florida, Arkansas, or New York. This decision is determined after consultation and within accordance of our trainer’s recommendation.

It varies depending upon the horse. We will maximize each horses’ full racing potential. The horse will only race if it’s healthy and sound.

Remember, we pride ourselves on the well being and care of all of our horses. However, when it appears that the horse’s ability is diminishing, then TRS will discuss options and make recommendations with the Members, regarding when to sell the horse.

The individual Members within the partnership will conduct a majority ruling vote to ultimately decide to sell their racehorse. Each Member’s original capital contribution unit constitutes one vote.

If the horse is a filly or a mare we will breed and sell her in foal at a sale or sell her as a "broodmare prospect". This is a very lucrative decision for all of the invested Members. It will provide her the opportunity to continue her blood line with her progeny.

If the racehorse is a very successful colt, then we will have the opportunity to syndicate our investment as a stallion. All of our geldings, once their racing career is over, are relocated to good homes, where they are turned out in pastures or start a new life as a jumping/show horse, or a simple pleasure riding horse.

So you don’t have to worry about the welfare of your racehorse, TRS will take care of all of the details of relocating your racehorse to a safe and good home.

 Colts or Fillies 

Is it better to purchase a filly or a colt?

Both are equally good. Our goal is to buy you a winner regardless of the racehorse’s gender. Whether the purchase is a filly or a colt depends upon their aftermarket value. Generally, we prefer to focus within the markets of fillies. Fillies and mares are much easier to sell after their racing career. In order for us to sell a colt, with a tremendous aftermarket value, the colt will have had to have raced and won at the top level racing venues.

Conversely, a filly, with an excellent pedigree will have had to only race for modest purses, but her value will rest with being a proven runner with an excellent pedigree.

TRS' contacts conduct business with some of the most prestigious stallion farms in Kentucky. When we decide to sell our filly/mare we will breed her to a stallion that crosses advantageously with her pedigree. TRS will interject its expertise in pedigree crossing, breeding our filly/mare to a fashionable stallion, thus generating a very attractive demand to potential buyers at the auction ring.

After the sale, TRS receives a sales commission. At this point, all outstanding debts will be paid, and existing LLC assets will be distributed, according to each member’s sharing ratio and units.

Tom Specht is a former jockey’s agent. He will consult with the trainer’s recommendation on which jockey is best suited for our horses.

Most of the time, Tom will defer the final decision to the trainer, since it’s in our best estimation that it’s the trainer who truly knows the horse. Selecting a jockey is a very important process since no two riders are the same. Some riders benefit certain types of runners i.e grass horses, dirt horses, sprinters, routers, sprinters on the turf, and routers on dirt.

We will select one of the top riders, whom we believe will compliment the horses’ particular running style. This is truly one of our greatest advantages racing in Southern California, since this racing circuit attracts a plethora of top riding talent.

This may be attributed towards a couple of possibilities. The most simple answer, just like some human athletes, maybe our horse just had a bad day. With TRS' expertise we will accurately assess why a horse performed poorly.

Sometimes, the jockey will detect and let the trainer know if there was soreness during the race.

Usually, when a horse fails to perform up to par, we will detect it during the replay of the race, based on how the horse ran. Any poor performance is thoroughly discussed with the trainer and the horse may undergo a veterinary examination, which will provide a more definitive answer.

All of our findings with the trainer and veterinarian are discussed with each Member. From this point, we determine the best and most humane direction for moving forward.

Trojan Racing Stable

For more information

Please Contact:

Director of West Coast Operations:

Tom Specht

ph: 707-889-2434