Hauswald quitting training, to be Smith's agent

Phil Hauswald has quit training and will become the agent for Mike Smith starting with the opening of Belmont Park.

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Yeah I read that last night. Too bad for Phil because he was saying with the way it is now, it's impossible to make a living training 8-10 horses. I've liked him for awhile, and he was always good for a price or two at the Spa. I know he won a few last year, and they were all decent prices if my memory serves me correct.

It is almost impossible to make it with a small barn these days. To be a trainer now you have to be a businessman/trainer, you can't just be a trainer like the old fashioned guys. Today's trainers, in order to succeed, just have to realize that there is a dwindling solid owner pool on which to draw from. You have to spend time promoting yourself, attending social events, soliciting new owners, and being seen at the racetrack in the afternoon whether or not you have a horse running. It also helps to have a website.
Costs associated with running a barn have risen more on a percentage basis than the standard day rate has at major tracks.
You also have to be willing to use cutting edge medications that costa hell of a lot of money in order to compete with the barns you are running against. Adequan, Legend, Gastroguard, Lubrisyn, etc are no loner "edges" in this game. They are necessities that you must use in order to be able to compete with the top barns. Those costs are steep and if your owners aren't willing to pay the costs, you can either pull it out of your own pocket(hoping to get it back both in your 10% cut of winning purses or residually by hoping to attract more owners with a higher win percentage) or just go without and going without doesn't work.

Originally Posted by oracle80

It is almost impossible to make it with a small barn these days. To be a trainer now you have to be a businessman/trainer, you can't just be a trainer like the old fashioned guys. Today's trainers, in order to succeed, just have to realize that there is a dwindling solid owner pool on which to draw from. You have to spend time promoting yourself, attending social events, soliciting new owners, and being seen at the racetrack in the afternoon whether or not you have a horse running. It also helps to have a website.
Costs associated with running a barn have risen more on a percentage basis than the standard day rate has at major tracks.
You also have to be willing to use cutting edge medications that costa hell of a lot of money in order to compete with the barns you are running against. Adequan, Legend, Gastroguard, Lubrisyn, etc are no loner "edges" in this game. They are necessities that you must use in order to be able to compete with the top barns. Those costs are steep and if your owners aren't willing to pay the costs, you can either pull it out of your own pocket(hoping to get it back both in your 10% cut of winning purses or residually by hoping to attract more owners with a higher win percentage) or just go without and going without doesn't work.

Absolutely ...

... especially as far as the political part becoming more important.

Can't just be a good ol' boy hardboot who knows his horses ... gotta be a big schmoozer ... and be media-savvy too.