Opportunity to acquire and race at Yonkers

The Standardbred Owners Association of New York is organizing an opportunity for interested trainers/owners to purchase a French trotter to race at Yonkers Raceway. This effort is in furtherance of the global racing activities begun at Yonkers.

The French trotting association Le Trot will be conducting a sale of prospective racehorses. The cost to purchase each horse will be $25,000 and they will all be geldings greater than 4 year olds that are currently racing in France and will be at a similar ability level and value. There will also be a charge of $3,000 to go towards the shipment of the horses to the United States. The SOA of NY will also contribute to the shipping costs for these horses. The total expenditure to acquire a horse through this program will be $28,000

Three trainers will be chosen by the SOA of NY to travel to Paris and inspect the horses that are offered for sale. The French Le Trot will gather many horses together for inspection and training. Veterinary exams will be required. The trainers will select the horses that show some ability to handle a half mile track like Yonkers Raceway. A total of 24 horses will be selected and brought back to New York. If at least 20 horses cannot be acquired, all monies will be returned and the program will be canceled.

The three trainers will be given the opportunity to participate in owning a horse, along with anyone else that expresses interest in participating in this program until the capacity is reached. Those trainers involved in the selection process will not be allowed to select any individual horse for themselves or their owners.

Once the 24 horses have been identified by our selected trainers, they will be randomly distributed by public lottery to the 24 entities that have expressed interest in participating in this program. This random distribution ensures that nobody receives an unfair advantage.

A couple of months after the horses have arrived in the United States, Yonkers Raceway will write a series of races open only to these horses that came over from France in this lottery drawing, no other horses will be eligible . There will be several legs at various distances and a rich final for the top 8-12 performers. In these races, horses will be paid down to last an amount to be determined by the SOA of NY and the Management of Yonkers in each of the legs.

Once the lottery drawing is complete, title will pass to the owner(s) who have placed their deposit for this program. The SOA of NY will be covering all costs associated with transporting the horses to the United States above the contribution made by each owner. The SOA of NY will not insure any of these horses but will bear all costs associated with the two to three day quarantine upon arrival in New York. After the quarantine is completed, all responsibility shifts to the owner which will include the obligation and cost for transportation from the NY quarantine facility to the horse’s final destination. Neither the trainers reviewing the horses nor the SOA of NY makes any representation or warranty express or implied as to the fitness of said horses and bears no responsibility of any kind for the selection of said horses but represents to exercise their best efforts in the selection and transportation of said horses to the USA.

In order to participate in this program, a non-refundable deposit of $10,000 will be required by Monday March 26. The balance of $18,000 will be due on or before Thursday April 26. If this program is not fully subscribed by March 26, those making an initial deposit will be refunded. The selection of horses is scheduled in France during the period of the Yonkers shut down at the end of May.

If you are interested in participating in this program, please contact the SOA of NY at 914-968-3599 or via email at soaofny@optonline.net. All monies paid after the initial deposit will then be held in escrow in an interest bearing account to the credit of the person depositing the funds. Space in the program is limited to the first 24 owners that reserve a slot by making a deposit.

Participation in the French American Trotting Club does not hold out any promise of income to any owner but provides an opportunity to race horses in the series and participate in this novel project.

Standardbred Owners Association of New York