Kim Rinker proves our point with Seize The Grey

Harnesslink’s Kim Rinker is one of harness racing’s treasured jewels.

I have known her for over 40 years and have witnessed as she has emerged as one of our sport’s greatest ambassadors and writers.

She can play “every instrument in the orchestra” with reference to our sport and, like I, is an eternal optimist about harness racing…from its rich history to its next world record performance, whenever that may be.

Her writings are of such brilliance and importance that Roget’s Thesaurus has nary a qualified word to describe those words. She is also a back-to-back John Hervey award winning journalist!

But Kim Rinker proved yet a very important point this past weekend…and without the use of a pencil, pen and a piece of paper.

Kim Rinker solidified an article that our Mane Attraction featured just weeks ago—the need for new ownership!

Yes, in our April 4th Mane Attraction asking the question of whether our trainers can help save our sport, we delved into the possibility of, say, 100 trainers advertising for 100 new owners in a new partnership on a decently bred yearling—there are plenty of those, these days—to get horse ownership back on track in our sport.

Of course, we got comments on both sides of the fence with the majority taking the pessimistic view that we have some partnerships now—about which we never hear—or the low probability of it being a successful venture.

So how did Kim Rinker prove a very important point about that recent column?

Kim, along with 2,569 others, took a “stake” in a $300,000 thoroughbred yearling sometime back that turned out to capture one of thoroughbred racing’s most prestige “Stakes,” after Seize The Grey won the Preakness at Pimlico Race Course just a few days ago.

Each share in Seize The Grey cost $127 and enticed equine enthusiasts from 42 different States to grab a share and become entrapped in the excitement of owning a racehorse and, in this case, a horse that won a leg of thoroughbred racing’s triple crown.

About 300 of those owners were at Pimlico on Preakness Day and the excitement in decibels couldn’t be measured on the meter.

The rest, quite surely, were glued to their television sets at home or at simulcast venues throughout the country, loudly rooting for the “Grey,” hoping their screams could be heard even from thousands of miles away.

This wasn’t the first rodeo for the trainer, D. Wayne Lucas.

At age 88, Darrell Wayne Lucas, of course, a dual Hall of Fame inductee, has won just about every single classic event that thoroughbred racing has to offer from the Kentucky Derby (four times) to the Belmont Stakes (four times) to this year’s conquest, The Preakness Stakes (seven times).

Add to that the countless Breeders Cup Stakes—actually 20 of ‘em—and so many other Graded Stakes that his recipe for success is one that continues to be as successful as “hot dogs and baked beans!”

Lucas has trained champions probably from “A” to “Z”…or close to it and is the epitome of success in an industry where success is, admittedly, difficult to attain.

(As for Kim Rinker and the excitement it has added to her life, she lamented, “This has added so much to my life.

“First of all, it’s affordable and, besides that, the MyRacehorse team does such a wonderful job in keeping everyone informed.

“From first gallops over the racetrack to getting paddock passes and personalized photos…these are memories that last a lifetime.

“And, you know, I always loved the ‘greys’ and, when I saw this one—Seize The Grey—it was just a natural instinct for me to hop on board!

“The greatest trainers are in your corner and the ‘kicks’ never end.

“We are all kept up to date with releases and e-mails…all the interesting stuff associated with ownership with no bills after your investment.

“When you get a winner, the money goes right into your account, and they do everything above board with no ‘nickel an diming’ you.

“It’s really a wonderful experience and harness racing should be all over this to help revive our sport.”)

What would it take to call upon some of our great trainers—well known or, even, not-so-well known—just competent trainers like Ake, Linda Toscano, Engblom, Nancy Takter, Moreau, Beckwith, to name a few…there are so many more…to bring new owners into the fold for “$127” a share and, maybe, just maybe, own a winner of one of our sport’s triple crown events or Breeder’s Crowns?

Yes, 2,570 new owners have enjoyed the ride of their lives in owning a share of the winner of the Preakness this year—Seize The Grey.

Not only that, 2,570 new owners are more than likely to bet a “bob or two” on their favorite four-legged family member.

And, for founder and CEO of MyRacehorse, Michael Behrens, he’s brought over 50,000 owners in the business who own fractional shares of horses.

MyRacehorse  also co-owned the 2020 Kentucky Derby winner and Breeders Cup Classic winner Authentic, who was also Horse of the Year.

As for the $127 investment in Seize The Grey, well, a $20 win bet would have gotten that back…and then some!

“May the horse be with you!”

by John Berry, for Harnesslink