Fractional ownership opens doors to harness racing

By Brianna Smith

The gate car rolls away and hooves thunder down the track. Horses and their drivers weave in and out of traffic, battling for position in a fast-paced, tightly contested race. Carts draw close, drivers make split-second decisions, and the grandstand erupts as bettors watch their picks charge toward the finish line. There are few things as exciting as a harness race.

For many fans, the thrill begins and ends at the racetrack. However, through fractional ownership opportunities, race enthusiasts have the chance to experience the sport on a deeper level, not just as spectators, but as owners with a stake in the horse racing down the track.

Jessica Schroeder is the owner of HorsePlay Racing Stable, a fractional ownership group with five horses. Through the program, individuals can purchase a percentage of a racehorse, allowing them to enjoy the excitement of ownership without taking on the full cost and responsibility of doing it alone.

Schroeder said the concept helps open the door to people who love racing and horses but may not have considered ownership possible. Shares can start as low as 1%, with expenses and any earnings divided according to each owner’s stake.

“It’s a way for people to get their feet wet and learn the business,” Schroeder said. “They get to follow the horse, go to the races, and be part of something they might not otherwise have the chance to do.”

Horseplay Racing Stable was officially formed in 2014 after Schroeder began exploring the idea of shared ownership the year before. A lifelong participant in the Standardbred industry, Schroeder saw an opportunity to connect everyday fans with the sport in a more meaningful way.

She comes from a third-generation racing family on both sides and has worked in nearly every corner of the business, including ownership, grooming, training, marketing and breed registry work. That background helped her understand both the excitement of racing and the financial realities that can keep newcomers on the sidelines.

“We started with claiming horses, which allowed people to get involved right away,” Schroeder said. “Then we moved into buying yearlings and developing younger horses.”

Today, Horseplay Racing focuses primarily on Ohio racing, giving owners the chance to watch their horses compete live at tracks such as Scioto Downs, county fairs, and other regional tracks. Rather than simply receiving updates from afar, owners can stand along the rail, visit the barn area, and watch the horses they support compete.

The cost to join varies depending on the horse and the percentage purchased. Schroeder explained that if a horse is bought for $10,000, a 1% share would cost $100. In addition to the initial buy-in, owners also pay their portion of monthly training and care expenses.

Those costs typically cover feed, bedding, stall rent, training, vaccinations and routine veterinary care. If the horse earns purse money, winnings are divided among owners according to their percentage after standard expenses are deducted.

While there is potential for returns, Schroeder said most people join for the experience as much as the financial opportunity.

“It’s kind of more of a learning opportunity and hobby, to get your feet wet,” Schroeder said. “One of my goals for fractional ownership is to always have people go on and own horses themselves.”

For many participants, the value comes from being involved in the day-to-day journey of a horse, from training miles to race nights and everything in between.

“It’s about the horses, it’s about seeing them, it’s about meeting other people,” Schroeder said.

She added that shared ownership gives newcomers a chance to better understand the sport before making a larger investment on their own. Some owners begin with a small percentage, then later purchase larger stakes in other horses after gaining confidence and experience.

Training is also a major part of the ownership experience. Schroeder works closely with two trainers who help develop the horses and keep fractional owners updated on their progress from the barn to the racetrack.

Owners are able to follow along as horses learn the routine of daily training, build conditioning and prepare for qualifiers and races. Schroeder said that behind-the-scenes access helps people better understand the work that goes into each start. Owners follow each horse’s progress, celebrate milestones, and hope the next trip to the starting gate leads to a breakthrough performance.

For Schroeder, helping others experience those highs and lows has been one of the most rewarding parts of building HorsePlay Racing. What began as a way to make ownership more accessible has also become a pathway for introducing new people to the Standardbred industry.

“I just thought it was a cool opportunity for people that were interested,” Schroeder said. “A lot of those people wouldn’t have had the wherewithal to own 25% of a horse.”

Over the years, she has watched owners come in with little knowledge of racing, then grow into committed participants who understand pedigrees, class levels, training schedules and the many decisions that go into managing a horse. Some eventually move from owning a small share to purchasing larger percentages or horses of their own.

That educational side of the business is especially important as racing works to attract new fans. Like many entertainment industries, horse racing now competes with more options for people’s time and money than in decades past. Schroeder believes creating hands-on experiences is one way to keep people engaged.

Even so, Schroeder reminds prospective owners that racing always carries risk. Horses can get sick, need additional care or simply not perform as hoped. Purse earnings can vary widely depending on class level and competition.

“In reality, like any form of life, it’s a gamble,” Schroeder said. “You’ve got to love it.”

For those who do love it, fractional ownership offers something more than a financial opportunity. It offers a chance to move beyond the grandstand and into the sport itself, sharing in the anticipation, nerves and excitement every time the gate car pulls away.