The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-15
RACING PROFITS SMALL.
Big Expenses Rapidly Eat Up the Big
Winnings.
Kansas City Star.

Kansas CITY star.
The announcement has been made that A.
j. JOyner, the well-know trainer, won with
the horses in his stable alone this season
$175 900. This is the highest amount Of mon
ey won by any trainer this year and repre-
sents the proceeds of thirty-fve races. The
amount seems large and at the first glance
gives the idea that horse racing is a veri-
table gold mine. That 1t Is a fine showing Cor
the handicap work Of one man there can be
no doubt and Mr.. Joyners two patrons, j.
B.. Haggin and Sydney Paget, must consider
themselves extremely fortunate with sums
amounting 10 $4,000 and $4,000 respectively
put to their credit.
A close analysis of the expenses attendant
upon running big purses. however. cute
down the net profit to a large degree and
after the training expenses of this big stable
of from forty to fifty horses have been taken
into account the actual winnings will be ma
terially reduced. There are a hundred ana
one items of expense in connection with the
maintenance of a large racing stable, in
Guiding travelling expenses, jockey fees and
the big ~forfeits to which they must be sub
jected. Thus it can be easily seen that horse
racing should be strictly a rich mans pass
time for it is a rough and rocky road to
fortune for the man who adopts Ii as q
business. There are instances, of course:
where poor men have come into riches quick.
ly in the horse racing business. but such I'M
stances are rare, while on the other hanG
countless numbers have gone broke at the
game. w. B. Gilpin. an Eastern racing ex<
pert, tells of the expenses Of maintaining q
large stable as follows: :
The training expenses are the main feat4
ure. The cost of feed and the cost of hiring
men and boys to look after the horses, al
the market has ruled Of late, amount to fully
$3.50 per day for each horse. This. say fof
forty horses only, which is somewhat lesa
than Joyner's number, will amount to $10s
per day, or $36, 500 per annum. The trainer
will receive $4,000 per annum, and 10 pes
cent. of the winnings, $15, 200. or in all. $25, 200,
Travelling expenses. including two journeys
to Morris Park and one to Saratoga, not II
mention excursions to the nearer meetings
such as Auueduct and Jamaica. will entail
an outlay of at least SIS per horse, or $4,000
Jockeys fees for two jockeys, $4,000, and
last, but not least, the forfeits. The whole
of the forty-two horses will, of course, not
be good enough to enter in stakes, but some
fifteen of them will, and to rate these ff3-
teen Mt 81, 600 per head is certainly not out OF
the way. Add these items together and therh
is a set-off of SOS. 200 against the amount
won OF s157 900, or a balance on the right side
of STA 800.
But as yet there are many things to be
added to the debit side, If racing is looked at
purely from a business standpoint. There
are the interest on capital invested, the STA
BILE rent, and the loss by wear and tear,
which mean a still greater reduction to the
credit side. The forty yearlings TO CON-
mence with would mean an outlay OF fully
$50. 900 which. at 3 per cent, represents
81, 500; the stable rent at 81 per head per
month for forty horses means $500, and then
there Is wear and tear. This last named Is
hard to figure. The racing career of a horse