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MyRacehorse owners aim for another Triple Crown triumph with Seize The Gray in 2024 Belmont Stakes

It's Belmont Stakes weekend, and the New York Racing Association's biggest race weekend is getting more attention with additional twists and storylines this year. Beyond the inaugural Belmont Stakes Racing Festival held at Saratoga Race Course June 6-9, Preakness Stakes winner MyRacehorse owners Enter the gray create more momentum and excitement in the horse racing industry.

The galloping gray colt takes his owners and fans on another memorable ride Saturday in the 156th running of the Belmont Stakes. Seize the Gray is owned by 2,570 people who purchased at least one share at $127 per share in Seize the Gray through MyRacehorse.

Belmont Stakes Betting Guide, Odds and Horse Profiles

The $2 million Grade 1 Belmont Stakes is race 12 and the last of nine stakes races on Saturday, June 9 and one of six Grade 1 races Saturday at Saratoga. The race distance is also reduced from 1 1/2 miles to 1 1/4 miles.

Background of MyRaceHorse

I spoke with MyRacehorse founder and CEO Michael Behrens this week and the story is truly inspiring. The process and popularity of MyRacehorse really took off.

Behrens was an avid auto racing fan who grew up 15 miles from Santa Anita Park outside Los Angeles. A former marketing director, Behrens built MyRacehorse and revolutionized thoroughbred ownership by bringing it to the general public in a way that was both inclusive and transparent.

Behrens took the reins to increase interest in horse ownership and provide the platform to make it an affordable reality.

“When I started this company, I set out to build and realize a very big vision,” Behrens said when discussing expanding into sports and building a secondary market with additional opportunities to crowdfunding. The interest and growth in MyRacehorse has resulted in a “massive response of new people wanting to come and support our mission and passion.”

MyRacehorse received federal approval for a nationwide launch in 2019. Lightning in a bottle struck in 2020 with a victory in the Kentucky Derby by Authentic for the MyRacehorse ownership group and other partners. The momentum and stable grew, along with interest from nearly 15 trainers. The last Preakness Stakes victory by Enter the gray on a muddy track at Pimlico was a watershed moment and a momentous outcome for MyRacehorse and its shareholders.

  • “It was an incredible rush. I was crying and screaming for Seize The Grey, then on FaceTime with my best friend, another owner in Canada. We actually own a horse that won a Triple Crown race!” – MyRacehorse Testimonial, California

“We're very regulated, but at the end of the day, people want to own a racehorse because it's fun and exciting,” Behrens said.

There are currently 120 horses in the MyRacehorse global racing stable with over 160 races won. The number of sole owners has grown to 60,000, and big racing days like the Belmont Stakes will bring together hundreds of shareholders to experience the excitement and celebration live at the track via Behrens and MyRacehorse. More than 130,000 people are registered on the MyRacehorse application and give their opinions and opinions.

The company operated under a business model focused on selling an experience to members of a broader audience by offering micro-actions. Mr. Behrens and his team took all the steps and completed the necessary forms and legal filings. MyRacehorse conveyed the opportunity to make racehorse ownership easy to try and accessible to the general public. Prospective owners can examine, analyze and purchase a fractional share of the racehorse of their choice for a one-time payment of as little as $100.

MyRacehorse and how the Microshare ownership structure works

“It’s about giving owners the experience of coming to the different events and introducing the general public to a side of horse racing that they don’t yet know.” – My Racehorse shareholder, Ken Myles

MyRacehorse is primarily focused in the United States and Australia and has recently expanded to the United Kingdom and Ireland.

  • I always dreamed of horse racing but didn't see a clear path because I'm not a billionaire. My racehorse made my dream come true.” – MyRacehorse, NJ Testimonial

Enter the gray

Enter the gray is a son of the great Arrogate, who earned more than $17 million on the circuit in 2016-2017. This includes breaking onto the scene and winning his debut in the prestigious Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. Arrogate then won his next three starts, all Grade 1 races, including the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Seize the Gray was purchased for $300,000 at the 2022 Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's Select Yearling Sale. It is 100% owned by MyRacehorse and the 2,570 unique individuals who purchased the 5,000 shares allocated for purchase, which sold out within a month.

“Seize the Gray’s Preakness victory had more than twice the impact on our company than Authentic’s Derby victory,” Behrens said. “We selected this horse as a yearling and he is 100% owned by the people. He is the the people's horse.”

Behrens added that MyRacehorse shareholders participate in racing revenues, as well as all revenues and dividends as a benchmark from the sale of breeding rights.

Beyond the Belmont Stakes intrigue, speed figures and odds lies the jockey of Seize the Grey. Jaime Torres won his first Grade 1 race and triple crown by guiding Seize the Gray gate to cable on a muddy surface at Pimlico. Legendary coach D. Wayne Lukas had given Torres a chance to step up to the the people's horse IAt the Pat Day Mile on May 4, Torres earned his first graded stakes victory on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

“I don’t have words to describe it,” Torres said. “I am very grateful for the opportunity provided by MyRacehorse and Wayne Lukas.”

MyRacehorse owners Enter the gray We are grateful that Behrens asked D. Wayne Lukas to also train the horse.

“I have been a huge fan of Mr. Lukas since the 1980s, and Wayne has been incredible and so generous with his time to the fans and owners of MyRacehorse,” said Behrens. “He always gives me and my knowledgeable customer experience team updates and videos so we can provide app updates and keep shareholders informed and how the horse.”

The Grade 1 Jaipur Stakes also features on the Belmont Stakes Day card. MyRacehorse bought a stake in the horse No, no, Mets earlier this year under Edge Racing in partnership with majority owner Alex Bregman of the MLB's Houston Astros. Edge Racing limits the partnership group to 20 people, which costs more to invest.

“We're changing the whole risk paradigm of how you get involved in owning a horse,” Behrens said.

MyRacehorse owners enjoy the journey, excitement and engagement with fellow shareholders and fans while experiencing the care and caution taken to enable horses to compete and thrive. Enter the gray is the most recent winner thriving while providing fans with a very affordable ownership opportunity through MyRacehorse.

You can bet on it.

MORE FROM FORBES

Forbes2024 Belmont Stakes Betting Guide and Winning Competitor Horse ProfilesForbesPreakness Stakes 2024 Odds and Horse ProfilesForbes150th Kentucky Derby Post Drawing, Odds and Top Contenders for 2024 Wins

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