Chinese Year of the Horse: a literal 60-1 shot
My latest "crossover" article, tying horse racing to the stock market
Quick! What do racehorses Kauai King and Sir Huon have in common with this year’s Triple-Crown hopefuls? They were once all hopefuls. And for the two just mentioned they won the Kentucky Derby. In 1966 and 1906 respectively.
Now, where the heck is he going with that, you ask? According to the Lunar (Chinese) calendar, 2026 is the Year of the Horse. Fire Horse, to be exact. And whereas other animals in the “year of” rotation come up fairly often, The Fire Horse only occurs every 60 years. Here's one explanation I found, if you are so inclined to want to learn more about it.
That got me thinking about the racing industry in the year of the horse. And for those who know me, they often hear me refer to my “day job.” I allegedly retired from the pro investing business in 2020, and have been an active investment writer since. It has turned in that classic line from The Godfather: “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!”
As part of that current semi-retired version of my day job, I am a columnist at Barchart.com, as well as writing for the other Substack I created, ETFYourself.com. So when I realized what year it was, I could not resist tying the two passions together.
As it is, my first foray into writing about horse racing was several years ago when I wrote for Forbes.com, and interviewed the outstanding handicapper Caton Bredar a few years in a row. Those articles synched up the Derby and some aspect of investing. Easy to do, given the overlap between them.
That all led to my latest article at Barchart.com, published today and pictured above. I simply took an investing topic (sector investing) and analogized it to morning line odds, in what is a similar handicapping exercise. I should know, I am regularly involved in both!
There’s a method to the “madness” in dovetailing the sport we all enjoy with a mass audience of people who may or may not care about horse racing. Or its survival.
As I see it, the mission of HorseClaiming.com is “expanding the tent.” For racehorse ownership, but more broadly when it comes to simply enjoying the sport. Whether the “hook” for someone is wagering, entertainment, handicapping analytics, the thrill of victory and competition, or just a great time outdoors.
The reasons don’t matter. What does matter is that we increase the interest in the game, particularly here in the US, where it is challenged, and where debate is raging. Like a fire horse.
So if you agree, tell some people about this free community that now exists. Where horsemen, bettors, and folks of all types can go to read and discuss horse racing from the standpoint of owners. And fans.
And if you have any suggestions about topics I should cover here, features, people that should be recognized in the game, or anything else you think will build this free community, just find me in the community chat. Thanks!
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