What’s This Guy Doing Here?
I spend most of my working week writing about investing at my other Substack, ETFYourself.com, running an investing service and writing at Barchart.com. I’ve had a 40-year Wall Street career, and retired from direct investment advisory in 2020.
So, what’s this about? Well, I also like introducing people to things that bring genuine excitement, energy, and fun into life. And for me, one of those things is horse racing.
I’m a $1 wagerer, not a hardcore “horseplayer.” But the sport, the game, the culture, the morning atmosphere, the camaraderie, and the rivalries? That all gets me going!
So, while I still spent lots of time as I have for decades, sitting in front of screens analyzing data and charts and writing about my views, I recently added a “hat.” Writing about horse racing, and teaming up with a couple of great young horsemen to start a business that owns racehorses. Put it all together, mix it around, and that’s “semi-retirement” as I define it.
Why Start a Substack About Horse Racing?
To help expand the game. Like so many people who love horse racing, I don’t just think other sports fans would enjoy it if they gave it a chance—I KNOW they would.
But they have to be shown what this sport really is.
Horse racing is so much more than two minutes on the first Saturday in May. It’s more than gambling on the next race. And it’s vastly more than the negative headlines you sometimes see in industry news. There are plenty of “moments” in this game. But behind those moments, is a whole entertainment experience that when people experience it, they often come back for more. I was one of those.
This site is about speaking directly to people who have already “leaned in” just a bit toward the sport, from whatever angle they choose. So I’m here to help the sport build a “coalition of the willing”—fans, casual wagerers, and maybe even folks who want to experience what it feels like to own a small slice of a racehorse without needing a fortune to do it.
Horse racing is the ultimate spectator sport:
An outdoor game where women and men compete head-to-head on equal terms.
An industry powered by tireless work behind the scenes that rarely gets the spotlight.
A sport where you can ask five different people why they love it, and get five completely different answers.
What’s Coming Next
Later this week, I’m launching a new series that pulls back the curtain on what it’s actually like to get racehorses to post time.
To be clear: there is zero pitch here. Earlier this year, a few partners and I launched a small syndicate to own a portfolio of claiming horses, but it was strictly a “friends and family” initial group, and it is completely closed.
Instead of selling anything, I’m using this blog to tell the story of our first season. The stories behind the horses we acquired, the frustrating missed “shakes” in the racing office, the travel decisions, and the sheer thrill of race day.
Between my background as an analyst and communicator, our head trainer who lives on the backstretch every day, and our partner who is both a practicing CPA and a former assistant trainer, we’ve had a front-row seat to how a stable actually operates. I’ve learned a lot from them already, had a ton of laughs, and experienced the raw ups and downs of the game.
I’m inviting you to follow along as I document the journey
We’ll blend our stable stories with casual handicapping picks just for fun, conversations with great people across the industry, and whatever else keeps the sport exciting.
This is my blog, but it’s your community. Let’s do our little part to enjoy and share the sport we love.
Welcome aboard!
— Rob Isbitts