Honor Roll Racing provides three services essential for any successful Thoroughbred racing venture. Selection/Bloodstock, syndication, and racing management services are provided. These services are provided as a package, but can be obtained separately as well.

Selection/Bloodstock Services - In Thoroughbred racing, if the horse isn’t sound, competitive, and fast, the racing venture simply cannot be successful. As much attention as some jockeys, trainers, and owners get, the obvious reality is even the craftiest of these cannot make slow or injury prone horses fast and sound. The first step in getting on your way to a rewarding ownership experience is selecting a quality Thoroughbred. That means working with personnel that understand the keys to finding a quality racehorse: Someone who can evaluate a horse and recognize quality when they see it, someone who understands the bloodlines, the underlying meaning behind the statistics, and the overall nature of the market. Anyone can buy a horse for $2,000 or $10,000 dollars and hope against hope they will get tremendously lucky. Some of us can even spend $2,000,000 dollars on the horse that everyone says has the most potential. Most of us don’t want to just rely on getting lucky, and most of us don’t want to be hopelessly in the hole from day one because we followed the hype rather than doing the necessary homework to find talent along with value. Alongside manager John Christensen, the Honor Roll Racing extended team includes vets, trainers and agents from various parts of the United States. Throughout much of the year, Team Manager John Christensen evaluates Thoroughbreds that he believes can be successful and sound runners that will provide value for Honor Roll Racing clients.

The process is typically a similar one. John finds a horse using various avenues (sales, farm contacts, etc.) that he believes may be a good candidate. Initially, a good candidate is based solely on paper analysis of the horse’s bloodlines. Once the initial paper assessment is complete, John will take a look (generally several looks if the first impression is favorable) at the horse to evaluate its overall suitability for racing. This includes looking at the lines of conformation and power to determine if the horse will be prone to injury or lacking in speed or endurance. Once John has determined the horse could be a solid prospect that provides value, a vet also specializing in evaluating a horse’s potential for racing success will complete the “vetting” process. That process includes checking for any abnormalities associated with the heart, respiratory system, and musculoskeletal system. Other more sophisticated analysis is sometimes also completed. If the vet's detailed look of the horse is also a favorable one, the horse is generally purchased for an individual or for syndication.

Syndication – Syndication is the process of dividing a Thoroughbred up into a number of shares or units of ownership, making ownership more affordable and less risky while allowing for diversification. Honor Roll Racing believes that it is much better to own a percentage of a number of horses, just as it is wise to spread investments in stocks across multiple offerings.  The Honor Roll Racing team takes care of everything associated with the setup and ongoing operation of the syndicate. Each horse with distinct multiple owners is syndicated individually and is represented by a Limited Liability Company (LLC) of which clients are members (part-owners). The horse is the sole asset of the LLC. The LLC structure generally protects owners from claims against personal assets in the unlikely event that legal action is taken against the LLC.  Each syndicate is regulated by an extensive operating agreement covering everything from formation and governance to accounting practices and termination. A prospectus is also available for each individual syndicate outlining the risks associated with the investment and providing a detailed estimate of monthly costs.  Syndicates are similar, but have slight differences based on several factors, including how close the horse is to race-ready when purchased. Most commonly, ten 9% shares are sold in each horse. The price of the share is dependent on the cost of the horse and the amount of expense money collected from clients at the initial offering. The horse is always sold back to clients for the price paid by Honor Roll Racing. There is no markup. Along with the purchase price, the initial share price generally includes money to cover expenses for as little as 3 months and as much as 18 months into the future. The goal is for the LLC that owns the horse to remain funded throughout the career of the horse from the initial investment funds. That means that some purses earned may be set aside to pay for future expenses beyond the 3 to 18 month timeframe. Money not required for expenses is distributed back to shareowners. If the horse is not successful early on in its career and the initial expense money is used up, an additional expense payment may be necessary.  An online registration system is provided for the convenience of clients so they can complete the necessary paperwork quickly and efficiently. There are two separate online processes. One is for registration and password protected access to detailed, partnership documentation. The other is for reservation of shares in a specific partnership/syndicate.

Racing Management – Once the horse has been selected and syndicated, the job of the Honor Roll Racing team turns to determination of the most appropriate trainer, circuit, and class level for the horse. Competition, purses, and expenses vary tremendously across racing jurisdictions and detailed knowledge of those things is critically important to the success of the horse and the potential for the syndicate to be profitable and self-sustaining. The Honor Roll Racing team specializes in understanding the class of horse that is most likely to excel at each class level and on the various circuits. This is one area we believe is overlooked. Many owners lose money racing Thoroughbreds because they don’t realize there are places where a less-than profitable claimer on the Kentucky circuit, for example, can be profitable as a claimer or allowance horse on another circuit.

The Honor Roll Racing team believes that the complete package of services offered significantly maximizes an owner’s chance at having an enjoyable and profitable experience.

Honor Roll Racing's mission is to provide it's clients with the ultimate thoroughbred racing experience. Quality thoroughbred athletes, expert equine care, a championship training program, quality management, and a best in class customer care program are all hallmarks of the Honor Roll Racing program.

Honor Roll Racing, Thoroughbreds and Thoroughbred Owners Racing to the Head of the Class!

Honor Roll Racing is based in the Louisville, KY metropolitan area. For more information, please click the register link on the right side of the Honor Roll Racing home page at www.honorrollracing.com or call Team Manager John Christensen at 502-640-3872.

Team Manager John Christensen is a proud member and supporter of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeder's Association (TOBA) and Horsemen's Benovelent and Protective Association (HBPA).