Hold your horses! This micro-investing app brings everyday fans to the winner’s circle

There are few experiences in the world of sports that equal the sheer excitement of walking into Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May. As the three-year-old thoroughbreds parade toward the starting gate, the atmosphere is electric. The infield is crowded and exuberant. In the grandstand, women are dressed in their fancy hats, while men sport crisp, cream-colored blazers. They sip on frosty mint juleps and eat warm bowls of slow-cooked burgoo while rubbing their slips for good luck.

Yet, for all the pageantry and the rush of cashing a winning ticket, there is one feeling that eclipses it all. Owning a piece of the winning horse is fundamentally more thrilling than owning a winning trifecta. The pride of watching your own horse cross the finish line is unmatched. For everyday investors who are deeply in love with the sport, that is exactly what MyRacehorse offers.

MyRacehorse

Historically, thoroughbred ownership has been restricted to the very wealthy. Collective racehorse ownership, however, isn’t an entirely new concept. Racing clubs in Japan have successfully brought everyday investors into the fold of horse racing for decades, proving to be incredibly popular and successful in growing the sport’s fanbase.

MyRacehorse takes this concept into the modern digital age, giving everyday fans the opportunity to own a fractional share in a real Thoroughbred racehorse at an accessible price point. Depending on the specific offering, ownership shares may be made available through Regulation A, Regulation CF, or Regulation D, each accompanied by the appropriate offering documents and legal disclosures.

To understand how investing on MyRacehorse works, take a look at their current slate of available horses on their platform. By browsing the active investment pages on MyRacehorse’s U.S. site, prospective owners can view the latest thoroughbreds up for syndication. Currently, there are 6 horses listed on the main buying portal, ranging from new yearlings to two-year-old colts and fillies.

We calculated the average available share price from the explicitly priced offerings currently available, and the average buy-in per share comes out to roughly $463. MyRacehorse’s pricing allows fans to choose their level of financial commitment while securing an actual equity stake in the horse’s racing and potential breeding career.

However, prospective buyers must enter with their eyes wide open. As Michael Behrens, the Founder and CEO of MyRacehorse, frankly told Sportico, “There is ridiculously high risk and high beta in investing in a racehorse. The majority of horses lose a lot of money, and because the delta [between winners and losers] is so high, it is hard to classify [racehorse ownership] as an alternative asset class.”

“High beta” is an investing term that indicates the asset you are buying has a tremendous amount of price volatility compared to the broader market. In the case of racehorses, the extremes are vast: Your horse could win the Kentucky Derby and skyrocket in value, or they could lose, suffer an injury or simply fail to compete at the highest level, causing their value to drop to a mere fraction of your original investment.

Because there is financial risk, MyRacehorse is designed to make the true heart of the product the experience. While the ownership structure and equity are real, the real return on investment for most fans is emotional. Owners are brought along for the full, immersive journey of a racehorse’s career. From the early days of breaking and training to early morning works, race entries and post-race results, your share is much more than a financial transaction. It is an all-access pass into the stable.

The MyRacehorse app offers push notifications, race alerts, exclusive videos and regular updates, making ownership feel intensely active and personal. Owners also have the chance to participate in unique community moments, such as naming contests, exclusive owner events at the track, educational seminars and special backside experiences that deepen their connection to the horse and the team.

MyRacehorse opens the world of thoroughbred horseracing by working with many of the most respected and successful names in the business. The platform’s horses have been placed with elite, world-class trainers and Hall of Fame horsemen, including legends like Bob Baffert and Todd Pletcher. For fans who love the strategy, horsemanship and the behind-the-scenes craft of racing, this platform offers a rare, transparent view into how top Thoroughbreds are developed, managed and campaigned.

The MyRacehorse model has already proven it can reach the absolute pinnacle of the sport. These are real horses competing and winning on racing’s biggest stages, delivering moments that most lifelong racing fans only dream of.

Authentic captured the 2020 Kentucky Derby and followed it up with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, taking thousands of micro-share owners on the ride of a lifetime. The success has continued in recent years, with Seize the Grey winning the 2024 Preakness Stakes, and Straight No Chaser taking home the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

These historic victories are shared by a passionate, global community of more than 100,000 owners who have joined MyRacehorse. They are united not by the guarantee of a financial return, but by the love of the animal and the sheer, unbridled thrill of hearing the track announcer call their horse’s name down the final stretch.