4 Types of Thoroughbreds You Can Buy
The Bluegrass state is known for thoroughbred racehorses. Over 238,000 thoroughbreds live on horse farms throughout Kentucky, accounting for over $115 million in tax revenue for the state each year. That means there’s an astounding one racehorse living and training in Kentucky for every 18 Kentuckians. It’s obvious that if you’re interested in buying a thoroughbred racehorse, there’s no better place to look than Kentucky.
In general, you will hear a lot about the following four age groups and categories of thoroughbreds you can buy:
Broodmares
Weanlings
Yearlings
Two-Year-Olds
Depending on your experience with racehorses, the racing industry, and your desired level of investment, you want to know how each of these types stack up. It is always a good idea to work alongside a skilled bloodstock agent when buying a thoroughbred racehorse of any level. Bloodstock agents have your best interest and the best interest of the horse at heart, and they know the ins and outs of the racing industry, pedigrees, and how to help you and your horse thrive.
1. Buying a Broodmare
Broodmares are female thoroughbreds who are finished with their racing career and are producing offspring to race in the future. Purchasing a broodmare is a safer investment overall because they are bred to quality stallions and produce foals. The downside to purchasing broodmares is it will take longer to know whether or not their offspring will perform well in races, but this depends on your goals as a racehorse owner. If you want to be a part of nurturing future winners and you love the process of raising horses either on your own farm or boarded, having a broodmare and foal is a great way to do it. The more proven the offspring, the more people will want to buy thoroughbreds produced by your mare.
One important factor to consider with buying a broodmare is if you plan to sell her offspring or keep them. If you plan to sell your mares' offspring as a weanling or yearling, you need to be a little more careful in your choice of mares. That’s because younger offspring are not proven and are bought based on the pedigree of the stallion, mare, and how well they did during their racing careers.
2. Buying a Weanling
Weanlings are young thoroughbreds who have been weaned and separated from their mothers. They are under eleven months old, and they are unbroken except for wearing a halter, being lead on a lead rope, and being groomed. Many people buy weanlings to sell as yearlings. Because weanlings are untrained and unproven, they usually don’t cost a lot of money. There is much less risk in overpaying for a weanling. Also, many buyers at auctions or sales are not interested in buying a weanling, so you have a better chance of buying your top selections at fair price. You are buying a weanling on the potential it has to turn a profit in the future.
Buying a weanling also means you get to make a lot of decisions about its boarding and upbringing. You can ensure your thoroughbred weanling has the absolute best–from large grassy pastures with other weanlings, to the best care and training possible. Providing your weanling with the best upbringing possible will give it a good foundation for the start of its training career. Mill Ridge Farm, as a thoroughbred nursery, provides outstanding care to broodmares and weanlings during this formative part of their lives.
3. Buying a Yearling
A yearling is one year old. Typically, foals are born in late winter or early spring. When they are separated from their mothers at four to six months old, they are considered weanlings, and when January 1 of the next year comes, they all become one-year-olds regardless of their actual birthdate. By this time, they look like a racehorse, and they are starting to learn the basics of being one.
If you want to make more decisions about the upbringing of your thoroughbred, then buying a yearling could be the best choice for you. However, a yearling is still a young, less-proven horse, which means you won’t get to know how well the thoroughbred will do up front. At the same time, yearlings won’t cost as much as two-year-olds. You have to balance the risk you’re willing to take on an unknown. One of the benefits of buying a yearling is that you get more control of where it goes to train to race, where it's raised, and other important early decisions.
You can find yearlings at yearling sales and auctions, including the Keeneland Yearling Sale, beginning September 12, 2022. However, it’s very important to remember you aren’t looking for the finished product at a yearling sale or auction. You won’t get to see them run because they are not at this stage in racehorse training or development yet.
Instead of evaluating them based on proven skills, your bloodstock agent and you will look at the sales catalog. This will show you who the stallion or sire is, what kind of racehorse he is, and the types of offspring he’s fathered. You’ll get to learn about the dam or broodmare of the yearling, her other foals and if they have been successful. There will be a long family tree of racehorses in the yearling’s family history that you can see, too.
Your agent can then recommend an equine veterinarian to examine the horses you’re considering. During the vet check, they’ll look for potential issues in breathing, joints, tendons, and ligaments. After this is completed, you and your bloodstock agent will discuss which yearling meets the requirements and is within your budget.
4. Buying a Two-Year-Old in Training
Buying a two-year-old thoroughbred racehorse means you are purchasing a more trained horse that is close to starting to race or may have already raced. As a buyer of a two-year-old, you don’t get to make the early decisions about boarding and training because you are purchasing the horse at an age when these decisions have already been made.
Two-year-olds tend to be the pricier investment of the thoroughbred racehorses you can buy. Think of these two-year-olds as the elite athletes in training. If you want to sponsor an elite athlete, it will cost you more money, but you also have a higher probability of having a better return on your investment.
You can find two-year-olds to purchase at horse auctions or sales events, like the Ocala Breeder’s Sale, two-year-old breeze shows, or through a private showing. The more proven the two-year-old is the more expensive it will be to buy, but they’re ready to race, bringing you as an owner that much closer to the track.
Interested in learning more about broodmares, foals, weanlings, and two-year olds? Want to see how they are raised for yourself? Schedule a tour of Mill Ridge Farm today throughVisit Horse Country, or visitus here.