NYRA Breeding Farm Tour Reveals Industry Inner Workings

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Old Tavern Farm owner Walt Borisenok gave a crash course in the horse breeding industry last Friday morning while a colt that could one day fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction munched absent-mindedly on his breakfast.

The peek behind the curtain of how horse breeding works in New York State was part of the New York Racing Association’s (NYRA) breakfast and breeding farm tour program, which will continue Thursdays through Sundays until the end of this year’s summer meet.

At Old Tavern, Borisenok said that Saratoga County has more than 30 breeding farms, making it the “hub” of the industry in New York. He also explained what buyers look for in a yearling, how horses are evaluated to ensure they’re healthy enough to race, why horses that win on the track are not always successful breeders on the farm, and why fillies in the same enclosure can get along fine, but colts…not so much. 

Trainer Dale Romans also stopped by the tour, about seven hours before his horse Gallo de Fuego won the 8th race at Saratoga that afternoon.

For more on the NYRA breakfast and breeding farm tours, visit www.nyra.com/saratoga/visit/tours/.