The more things change ... Training cost edition

[FenceBored]

Stumbled on this gem this morning from the January 28, 1919 (http://name.kdl.kyvl.org/drf1919012801) edition of the Daily Racing Form. Racing Now an Expensive Business
Trainers Discuss Great Increase in Cost of Feed, Stable Help and Other Essentials.

Walter House and Lucky Jack McGinnis were conversing a few
days ago on the expense of training horses these days. Both were unanimous in their convictions that no one could train a horse properly on less than $5 per diem, and cited instances of expenses for side dishes in the business that were now so high that when the monthly bills were rendered they made them dizzy.
-- http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=drf1910s;cc=drf1910s;rgn=full%20text;idno=dr f1919012801;didno=drf1919012801;view=pdf;seq=1_5;n ode=drf1919012801%3A1.5

[nearco]

According to several different online inflation calculators, $5 in 1919 translates to approx $65 in today's money.

[forced89]

I used to pay $8 in the early 60s.

[lamboguy]

all you have to do to win these days is spend about $300k on a horse and send him to Todd Pletcher @ $125 per day and another $5000 per month for all the other things those good horses get and you will have lots of winners.

[CryingForTheHorses]

all you have to do to win these days is spend about $300k on a horse and send him to Todd Pletcher @ $125 per day and another $5000 per month for all the other things those good horses get and you will have lots of winners.


The man wins a ton of races..I would love to know how many fall by the wayside and dont make it!!!

[Shemp Howard]

Join one of those "vanity" partnerships that race at the minor ovals and you'll get a real education in what goes as training fees these days.

How about the managing partners breakfasts, DRF subscription and the rental for his box at the track?:eek:

[green80]

my cost to keep a horse in training in 2011 was about $35 a day. So the guys charging 60-75 a day aren't getting rich.

[forced89]

Join one of those "vanity" partnerships that race at the minor ovals and you'll get a real education in what goes as training fees these days.



It is not the day rate that hurts. It is the 10% (or more) of purse income going to the Partnership Manager (in addition to the percentages going to the trainer and jockey) that really hurts. With some partnerships there are also some questionable items charged to the Partnership but they are small potatoes when compared to the 10% off the top.

[FenceBored]

From later in the same article, Walter House talks about how good the grooms of 1919 have it compared to when he was a lad.
"Rubbers today want secretaries and stenographers. They should have been living in my early educational days when we were sometimes lucky to get a couple of crullers and a cup of thin cofee for breakfast, and that had to last us until midnight or the next day."