Adrian Sharma said he is lucky to have had some great advice from a mentor before diving into horse ownership for the first time. Four months after buying a piece of his first horse, Sharma now shares ownership of four Standardbreds and is having a blast.
“I’ve been fortunate to say in the last four months I’ve had seven wins,” said Sharma, who lives in Kleinburg, ON.
Those four horses, all trained by Darryl Laver of Petrolia, ON, have collectively compiled a record of 7-10-1 in 40 starts and earned more than $33,000 since Sharma was part of their ownership.
Yet, Sharma, who works in the education sector, said what was far more important than having some success with his horses was jumping into horse ownership the right way.
His key priorities were:
- ​Having a good understanding of what he was getting himself into financially.
- Knowing and trusting his ownership partners.
- Finding a trainer that would always put the welfare of the horses first.
- Ensuring the horses would find a retirement home when they were finished racing.
- Treating the venture as a hobby, not a money-making enterprise.
Sharma said he did a lot of research (and
Ontario Racing offers some great tips on how to become a horse owner). He also leaned on his friend James Grant of Sarnia, ON, who is also fairly new to horse ownership.
“James was the guy who was helping guide me into all of it,” Sharma said. “So, I had a mentor.
“I didn't understand the sport very well. So, if I was going to do it, I wanted to go in with people I trust and people I know. And that was James, and he introduced me to somebody else who would be a partner too, Leanne Davidson.”
In March of 2021, Grant purchased a piece of Bob Loblaw, bred and owned by Woodbine Mohawk Park race caller Ken Middleton, Jr. and the late Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame communicator Bill Galvin. Bob Loblaw, also trained by Middleton, Jr., won the $225,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final that year en route to lifetime earnings of $278,387.
“In April of last year, just out of nowhere, [Grant] sent me a text with a picture of him and Bob Loblaw and he said, ‘I would love for you to get into this sport with me…’ That's pretty much what started getting me thinking about actually getting into this,” Sharma said.
“I started doing my research on the horses and the cost of acquiring plus maintaining them, which is probably more important than cost of acquiring. Then I went to an event last year. I went to the King’s Plate… It was a good experience… and I said, ‘I have to get into this.’”
After understanding what he was getting himself into financially, Sharma needed to ensure the person he entrusted with training the horses would always put the horses’ health and well-being first.
“My family's concern was, ‘Where's the horse going to live? How's the care going to be?’ So, I went to research all that to make sure, before I got into it that the horse was going to have a good home and good treatment…I saw the stables where they would be, which is the Laver stables in Petrolia.”
Sharma said planning for the horses’ retirement was also very important.
“I wanted to be sure all the way until the end that the horse was going to have a good life,” Sharma said. “In fact, my goal at the end of it is that when the horse retires it will live on my farm.”
The final piece of the puzzle was having the correct mindset.
“After I figured out that the horse is going to have proper care and that I had good partners, I said to myself, ‘Okay, this is going to be something just to enjoy. It's going to be a hobby. I'm not going to be looking at how much money I'm going to make,’ understanding that I'll probably be putting money into this.”
Sharma officially jumped into horse ownership after Grant and Davidson claimed 5-year-old pacing mare Snake Eyes Hanover on March 2 at Flamboro Downs. A few days later, Sharma bought a piece of the horse. On May 22, the group claimed 7-year-old gelded pacer Favaro Seelster at Flamboro. On April 18, the group claimed 9-year-old pacing mare Blossom Onthebeach at The Raceway at Western Fair District. Finally, on May 9, Sharma and company claimed 5-year-old gelded pacer No Fool MacKinley at Flamboro.
Sharma said Snake Eyes Hanover (
above, winning a race at Dresden Raceway on June 8 / Cam Sinasac photo) remains his favourite. They say you always have a soft spot for your first. Since Sharma and partners have owned her, she has earned over $10,000 and posted a record of 3-2-0 in 14 starts.
More importantly, Sharma said horse ownership has helped build relationships.
“It brings people together,” Sharma said. “My friends always ask me, ‘When's the next race?’ We keep texting each other, and I'm watching every race. So, my friends and family are watching every race too, either in person or live streamed… and then we're discussing the race after that. So, it brings us together. It's something that we do together.”
For now, Sharma is smitten.
“Horses are beautiful animals… Even these four horses, when I go up to them, they all have their own individual personalities, and it's a different connection,” he said.
As for what’s next, Sharma said he would like to pay it forward.
“I'm still learning… but once I understand everything properly, I think my goal is to be what James was to me to other people – a mentor,” he said.
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