[Slewdledo]

Did you see Zenyatta's workmate - OK, punching bag - Green Cat on there? You could brag forever if you took him home!!!

[Star's Ascent]

Those aren't going to be $3k horses with 90-120 days of pro retraining on them. I'd expect that chestnut to go for closer to $10k, possibly more, after he's had 90 days and been started over fences in a professional program.

Sure, if the person is willing to buy him for 3k and want to turn him around for 10k. You can find nice horses for less that will be just as nice horses. You just have to look. I personally can't, for myself, justify spending that much money on a horse that is track broke. I wouldn't spend 10k on a warmblood weanling either. Not all the fancy horses go through Canter. They sometimes end up in other places. You just have to know where to find them.

[SunNSand]

When I used to transport horses trainers at the race track would just give us horses. Usually it was a horse that wasn't winning and the owners wanted it gone yesterday. Some were nothing special others were real gems. We'd put some basics on them and sell quickly. Guess I got spoiled with the free horses.
This guy was my favorite. Wish I had kept him. He came from Bay Meadows
http://s1281.beta.photobucket.com/us...Sand1/library/

[War Admiral]

Ha! Yeah, I got spoiled w/ the freebies too when I lived up in New England. I had one particular trainer who had tried to rehome his fave race horse FOUR TIMES and it boomeranged on him (and, to his eternal credit, he kept taking the horse back and trying again... this is decades before CANTER or anything like that). I was the one that managed to turn the key in that horse's lock and after that the trainer gave me first dibs on everything he had and I never paid a dime for any of 'em. Unfortunately when you don't have direct access to race trainers (like most of us and certainly like me nowadays, when I don't even live in a racing state) you will end up paying a few thousand for a good one.

[SunNSand]

Ha! Yeah, I got spoiled w/ the freebies too when I lived up in New England. I had one particular trainer who had tried to rehome his fave race horse FOUR TIMES and it boomeranged on him (and, to his eternal credit, he kept taking the horse back and trying again... this is decades before CANTER or anything like that). I was the one that managed to turn the key in that horse's lock and after that the trainer gave me first dibs on everything he had and I never paid a dime for any of 'em. Unfortunately when you don't have direct access to race trainers (like most of us and certainly like me nowadays, when I don't even live in a racing state) you will end up paying a few thousand for a good one.

Ah the good ol days
I wish I hadn't lost all my contacts from back in the day. Phone+Beach=
I'm thinking about trying to get on with someone as a part time pony or exercise rider just so I can get on the backside and snatch up some good horses. Don't know how to go about it though, I'm shy

It REALLY bothers me though when people can't be bothered to get a decent video of their horses. There's no excuse in my opinion. If you are asking $4,000 at least get some decent footage. But then again it makes it easier for those of us that do take good pictures and decent videos to sell our horses.
I get what someone else said about it being difficult to get a proper jog at a race track but this guy has been there for over a year and raced 23 times. He's jogged for vets at least 50 times if not many more, he should know how to jog. When the vets do their inspections before a race they will make a horse jog again if he doesn't do it properly the first time. Seen it happen many times.

[RugBug]

I get what someone else said about it being difficult to get a proper jog at a race track but this guy has been there for over a year and raced 23 times. He's jogged for vets at least 50 times if not many more, he should know how to jog. When the vets do their inspections before a race they will make a horse jog again if he doesn't do it properly the first time. Seen it happen many times.

It's a 6 sec clip...the horse hadn't even settled into the trot yet and is bouncing/being a tad naughty. Yes, it's a terrible clip, but at least it's something.

Personally, I would say don't critique the clips until you're the one out there trying to get them. Rumor has it that you don't get a lot of time to do anything, let alone re-shoot a video until you get a decent one.

[summerly]

I hope they find good homes! Both seem very nice.

[amastrike]

Andydar is beautifully presented, although I was expecting to see Alydar in his pedigree... The chestnut doesn't have as big a butt as I like, but he seems pretty nice.

[harvestmoon]

Andydar is beautifully presented, although I was expecting to see Alydar in his pedigree...

LOL, me too. I kept digging, thinking, "Alydar's gotta be in here somewhere." Affirmed is in there - Alydar's nemesis. Close enough?

Lovely horse. He's got great looking legs and feet.

[SillyHorse]

As for the filly farther down the page, she's been there for over a year now. I'm not sure if she's still available or if there is a significant issue somewhere, because I can't believe that if she was that much of a deal, she'd still be there.

They say she's 17.2. If she's 17.2, the rider is 8 feet tall.

[RugBug]

They say she's 17.2. If she's 17.2, the rider is 8 feet tall.

I don't know...she very well could be that big, just be narrow. I'm not overly tall (5'6"+) and my foot is at the bottom of my 16.2h TB's belly...mostly because he's extremely slab-sided. If that mare is slab-sided, and the rider is a bit taller than me...17.2 is well within the range of how tall she could be.

[Nootka]

I think Steuart knows his market pretty well and I'm sure this is a special horse. No one would bat an eye at spending $17k+ for an attractive, talented, professionally started warm blood. And this is an unraced horse, so less worries about race track vices and wear and tear.

Thank you for taking the words out of my mouth. This is not a typical OTTB and it shows good pics and very nice video of a talented eventing prospect. Eventing prospects are not just given away...

[Star's Ascent]

It's a 6 sec clip...the horse hadn't even settled into the trot yet and is bouncing/being a tad naughty. Yes, it's a terrible clip, but at least it's something.

Personally, I would say don't critique the clips until you're the one out there trying to get them. Rumor has it that you don't get a lot of time to do anything, let alone re-shoot a video until you get a decent one.

And there is one particular trainer that I have been in contact with when I was looking a few months ago and she was really good at getting a video for me, while not great she was very open to doing it and also got me specific photos I asked for. Very helpful. I didn't end up getting any of her horses unfortunately (the one that I really wanted to grab was gone in a day! There was no way that I could get there after work to see him since I'm 1.5-2hrs away) For me having her be willing to take the time to do that helped me to decide whether or not to make the drive. On the flip side I went to see the one horse (who was owned by her former business partner and didn't have great things to say about her) and I got out there and what was supposed to be (and even then they thought he was) a sound horse was actually a lame horse. (some of you have seen that video, I posted it when I was looking) Gorgeous horse but couldn't take the risk with the price, cost of gelding and a vet check that was going to require xrays probably to find out what was going on. I know that the volunteers don't have the most time to try to get the horses info, photos, etc. Much less there aren't always the ideal situations to getting the horses posed properly. That's why it was great that the one trainer took the time to get photos from the feet to ankles and straight on closer up, etc

[Erin Pittman]

They seem pretty cheap to me compared to an OTTB who has had 90 days training and he is priced at $17,500.

Yes he is a nice horse, and will probably make a good event prospect, but over $17,000?

If you want to rush right out and buy him, Steuart Pittman (Dodon Farm --- the Retired Racehorse Challenge people) has him for sale.

The owner of that particular horse set the price and he sold within about 3 weeks for his asking price. I guess a horse is worth what you'll pay for it! He was an absolutely gorgeous horse.

[danceronice]

Not overpriced for the California market and the quality of the horse. Both of them are big-bodied, well put-together, great-moving horses in good flesh.

I don't understand why everyone expects all OTTBs should be dirt cheap, regardless of quality. Or that trainers should just be giving them away out of the goodness of their hearts.

Frequently, you get what you pay for.

Yep to all of that. And I was going to say, California CANTER? Pricey compared to the East Coast (doubly for me as shipping would cost a fortune) but it's California, for there, the prices are darned reasonable.

I got an OTTB which meant I got a horse who stands for the farrier and vet, loads, bathes, clips (more or less, Lucky is touchy about his ears) leads nicely, has been ridden A LOT...In my case I ripped the trainer off by paying his asking price ($600.)

[danceronice]

Not overpriced for the California market and the quality of the horse. Both of them are big-bodied, well put-together, great-moving horses in good flesh.

I don't understand why everyone expects all OTTBs should be dirt cheap, regardless of quality. Or that trainers should just be giving them away out of the goodness of their hearts.

Frequently, you get what you pay for.

Yep to all of that. And I was going to say, California CANTER? Pricey compared to the East Coast (doubly for me as shipping would cost a fortune) but it's California, for there, the prices are darned reasonable.

I got an OTTB which meant I got a horse who stands for the farrier and vet, loads, bathes, clips (more or less, Lucky is touchy about his ears) leads nicely, has been ridden A LOT...In my case I ripped the trainer off by paying his asking price ($600.)

[Star's Ascent]

I'm born and raised in CA and I find spending 3-5k on an OTTB still on the track to be too much and overpriced. I think that they have discovered that this is a market and there is no reason to sell them cheaply. Of course people are paying those prices but I would rather spend that to get one that has had 60 days on it than one that I'm getting right off the track and have to start over myself. I'm willing to pay if it's had the outside training but I don't see what you are paying for one still on the track. Not that blood lines don't matter but I'm not one to pay for bloodlines. I've had four, #1 was $800, #2 I traded #1 for, #3 was 500 and #4 was $1000 and officially the most expensive horse I've ever bought. (we bought our old man for $800 20 years ago too)

[Star's Ascent]

And PS, this one has a really cute face.
http://www.canterusa.org/index.php?o...ings&Itemid=61

[vineyridge]

Maybe it's me, but those California horses on CANTER as a group have the MOST awful legs. I didn't see one that looked like it had straight, unbowed legs with decent pasterns. I would not touch any of those horses with a ten foot pole if the pictures don't lie.

[Button]

I was warned by my trainer that if I want an appropriately sized, still sound/ unblemished, OTTB with at least some athletic potential for jumping I would be looking at 4k minimum, probably closer to 5k. And that's with no additional training. Then again his definition of "potential" I'm pretty sure means 4ft and up, but previous posters are right, you get what you pay for.