The Fasig-Tipton KY October Sales starts tomorrow and Pocket Aces Racing hopes to add at least one new member to our racing stable out of this sale.  We have identified approximately 160 horses based on pedigree which we will inspect physically.

A brief description of our inspection process is outlined below… 

Conformation – correct through the knees and ankles, proper hock placement, strong feet that match, good shoulder and hip angles, strong top line, etc.;

Tracking – we want to make sure the limbs are all going forward in a straight line.  No winging or paddling in the front or back; Strength – well defined, strong gaskins. Sturdy limbs and a muscular rear end.

Athleticism – a powerful mover with good reflexes and coordination that extends his reach with fore and hind limbs.

The Total Package – we call this the process of looking at nothing but seeing everything.  If a horse gets this far along with us physically we know we like his parts so we don’t want to focus on any one particular thing.  By this point we’re more interested in knowing if all the parts work together; and lastly

The Intangibles – Is the horse always moving forward or does he have to be dragged everywhere he goes? Does he have an intelligent eye? What’s his attitude like? Is he calm, cool and collected or is he nervous, scared or sour, etc.?

Depending on the quality of the sale, about 10-15% of the horses on our list actually pass the physical inspection .  Of those, about a third of them will have vet problems (fractures, large OCD’s, chips, bad airways, etc.) that we can’t live with.  The remaining few horses from our initial list will be considered for puchase.  This is a very brief description of our process, which we apply to every horse that runs in the Pocket Aces silks, whether they cost $100,000 or $10,000.

We’re excited to get started and can’t wait to come home with the newest members of the Pocket Aces Racing Stable.