Real World Racing

Both of my My Dare to Dream horses have their first race in the next few days.

In all honesty the general feeling of happy anticipation is being replaced by a feeling of worry and concern. Both horses have progressed very smoothly since the Ocala sale in June.

Let’s review how I got here:

I decided to start writing this blog the morning of the first under tack show for the June Ocala 2-year old in training sale. As I started to watch the works, I also started to to review the various partnership websites. Dare to Dream is a medium size partnership operation based out of Chicago. I had made a small unsuccessful investment with them several years ago.

That horse, Dynamite Answers, had one published work and never ran again. He was a Temple City colt with a very late birthday (May 17th), so he was too immature for the sales. Dare to Dream had purchased him privately. I knew even then that Temple City progeny were late developers, so I took a chance. I will not bore you with the whole medical history, but the Dare to Dream guys handled it professionally and the partners were kept well informed. It is just one of the risks of horse racing.

Fast forward 3 years, and the night before the Ocala sale was to begin the Dare to Dream guys were offering an “in the blind” partnership for a horse they were going to buy at the Ocala sale. I saw that Dare to Dream had bought an interesting horse, Arrest Warrant, at the March Ocala sale, but that partnership was already closed. I decided to take a chance with Dare to Dream again. I called one of the Faber brothers, and told them I would invest $2,300 for 2% of prospective purchase. Rather than just watching the sale, I was now in very small way part of the sale.

I waited with eager anticipation to see which horse they would buy. Now that I know much more about sales, I am not 100% sure I would make that investment again. However, sometimes you just have to dive in pool and try to start swimming.

I did not have to wait that long. Early on the second day, Dare to Dream bought a colt by Tapizar for $75,000. He was hip #456. He had worked in 9.4. One horse had worked 9.3, and only 15 had worked 9.4. Of those 15, only one other sold for under $100,000.

I was thrilled about a son of Tapit (and a grandson of AP Indy) as the sire. Tapizar was a Breeders Cup mile winner, but has produced Monomoy Girl out of a sprinting mare, so he can be a sire of distance running horses. The dam of my new horse was a sprinter by Dixie Union that had a nice career winning over $230,000, and had produced a decent runner in her first 3 foals. The second dam was unraced, but by Mineshaft, so another stamina influence. The third dam was a very nice filly won the Arlington Oaks (G3) by 6 lengths. The fourth dam was by Cozzene, so their is plenty of distance ability in the extended female family.

The horse was named Quick Tempo, and started working a few weeks after the sale. He was sent to a young trainer named Chris Davis who is based at Arlington Park. He has had 9 works, starting with three 3f breezes, and concluding with six 4f works (the last being 47.2, 2/8). The race is only 4 1/2 furlongs. He will be ridden by Jose E Lopez. QT is 5th choice in a field of 9 with a morning line set at 8/1. The favorite is a nice son of Daredevil that Carolyn Wilson bought for$400,000 at the first Ocala sale in March. Calumet Farm has a nice Bernardini colt in the race. There is horse making his second start that ran an OK speed fig of 72 in his first try. Former Ralston Purina Chairman William Stiritz has a nice Kozan colt on the outside. Mr. Striitz was one the first CEO’s I met in my career as an investment analyst. The turn comes up very quickly, so a good break is essential.

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As the Ocala sale was ending the Dare to Dream guys went back privately purchased a Tapiture filly that had been RNAed on the first day of the sale. She had worked a solid 21.1 and they got her for $50,000. I also bought 2% of this horse.

Tapiture is also a son of Tapit and has been a very useful $10,000 sire. The mare was a consistent Oklahoma bred that won 6 races routing. The third dam has produced million dollar winner Bien Nicole.

She was named Blonde On Tap. Since her birthday is a late May 16th, I had expected her to develop a little slower, but she has kept up with Quick Tempo is several joint works.

She starts the following day in a full field at Arlington going 4 1/2. She drew the rail, and right outside her is a Wesley Ward speed horse. That is just bad luck. Chris Davis trains and Jose Lopez rides.

The weather is looking good, let’s hope for two safe races and some good learning experiences. In a perfect world I am not a fan of 4 1/2 furlong races, but you are at the mercy of the racing secretary.

I would like to be there to watch, but the miserable Governor of Illinois is not allowing owners at the track.