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CNN Saturday Morning News
Interview with Terry Finley
Aired June 07, 2003 - 09:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN ANCHOR: Funny Cide was purchased for a very modest price, at least for a race horse, that is, a modest price of $75,000. And with the win today, the owners will be paid back more than 100 times over. But is horse ownership practical still for small investors?
Well, joining me for a look at that question is Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds.
Thank you very much for joining us this Saturday morning.
TERRY FINLEY, WEST POINT THOROUGHBREDS: Appreciate the opportunity to talk to you.
You talked about the excitement, and I don't think I've ever felt the kind of electricity that I've felt the last couple days of Belmont and across the industry. It's a great thing for our industry, and I'm real excited about today.
GUPTA: What, what -- this is a very unusual scenario. It's the first time in 25 years that a horse may actually win the Triple Crown. What does that do for the sport of horse racing?
FINLEY: Well, I think it does a couple things, but I think a big aspect of it is, it puts us in the forefront of the American public, and of the sporting eye. If you look around here, I don't think I've ever seen the coverage for a Belmont that I've seen this year, and this is equivalent to the Kentucky Derby.
But it's exciting for all the people involved, because, as was talked about, it shows that the smaller person, without investing a whole lot of money, can get involved and can be on the big days. And if we get lucky today, there's a partnership that could be the owners of a Triple Crown winner. And that's special.
GUPTA: I think that is remarkable. I mean, as interesting the story of Funny Cide, also is interesting the story of these six investors. And you, you're part of a company that actually gets people who maybe don't know a lot about horse racing, probably wouldn't have the money themselves alone to own a horse, you get them involved in horse racing. Talk a little bit about that. For the average guy out there, average gal out there who wants to get involved in horse racing, what would you tell them?
FINLEY: Well, they still call the sport the sport of kings. But the great thing about our business is that we've shown a good number of people the way to get involved in the business, by investing $5,000 or $10,000, and you have an opportunity to participate on the big stage, because if you're in the horse business, and it doesn't matter if you own a -- or you spend a million dollars or you spend $10,000, you want to participate on the big days and on the big stages.
So it puts everybody on the same playing field, and that's an exciting aspect of the partnership, the ability to give the common person an opportunity to get involved and get on the dance floor, so to speak.
GUPTA: Yes, right, Terry. And (UNINTELLIGIBLE) lot of times people look to you to try and figure out whether they should be spending $10,000 or a million dollars. What do you look for in a horse? Obviously you want a fast horse. But I imagine it's got to be more than that.
FINLEY: Well, the question's brought up quite a bit. And I tell you, if I really knew, I probably wouldn't need the partnerships. I would go to a banker and I'd borrow some money and I'd get all the good horses.
But that's really a part of the fascination that people have is, you go a horse sale, and you look at 400 or 500 horses over a span of two or three days, and you're trying to pick out the diamonds in the rough. Obviously there are people that go to the sales, and they spend a little bit more money than we do.
But I think that's the intrigue and the drama of the business, is trying to pay $75,000 for a horse, and then after a year or two, you see the horse on the big stage. I mean, that's really what attracts me to the business.
GUPTA: All right. Terry, I know you've got a couple of horses in the race as well, so to speak. But you're still rooting for Funny Cide?
FINLEY: Absolutely. I'm a big fan of their connections, and I really -- at the top of the stretch, I'll be on my feet and I'll be screaming at the top of my lungs for Funny Cide, because I really want to see a Triple Crown for the connections, as well as for our sport.
GUPTA: All right. Right on cue, you've got the bells! Thank you so much for joining us, Terry Finley. Thank you. Have a good time today.
FINLEY: All right, thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 7, 2003 - 09:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN ANCHOR: Funny Cide was purchased for a very modest price, at least for a race horse, that is, a modest price of $75,000. And with the win today, the owners will be paid back more than 100 times over. But is horse ownership practical still for small investors?
Well, joining me for a look at that question is Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds.
Thank you very much for joining us this Saturday morning.
TERRY FINLEY, WEST POINT THOROUGHBREDS: Appreciate the opportunity to talk to you.
You talked about the excitement, and I don't think I've ever felt the kind of electricity that I've felt the last couple days of Belmont and across the industry. It's a great thing for our industry, and I'm real excited about today.
GUPTA: What, what -- this is a very unusual scenario. It's the first time in 25 years that a horse may actually win the Triple Crown. What does that do for the sport of horse racing?
FINLEY: Well, I think it does a couple things, but I think a big aspect of it is, it puts us in the forefront of the American public, and of the sporting eye. If you look around here, I don't think I've ever seen the coverage for a Belmont that I've seen this year, and this is equivalent to the Kentucky Derby.
But it's exciting for all the people involved, because, as was talked about, it shows that the smaller person, without investing a whole lot of money, can get involved and can be on the big days. And if we get lucky today, there's a partnership that could be the owners of a Triple Crown winner. And that's special.
GUPTA: I think that is remarkable. I mean, as interesting the story of Funny Cide, also is interesting the story of these six investors. And you, you're part of a company that actually gets people who maybe don't know a lot about horse racing, probably wouldn't have the money themselves alone to own a horse, you get them involved in horse racing. Talk a little bit about that. For the average guy out there, average gal out there who wants to get involved in horse racing, what would you tell them?
FINLEY: Well, they still call the sport the sport of kings. But the great thing about our business is that we've shown a good number of people the way to get involved in the business, by investing $5,000 or $10,000, and you have an opportunity to participate on the big stage, because if you're in the horse business, and it doesn't matter if you own a -- or you spend a million dollars or you spend $10,000, you want to participate on the big days and on the big stages.
So it puts everybody on the same playing field, and that's an exciting aspect of the partnership, the ability to give the common person an opportunity to get involved and get on the dance floor, so to speak.
GUPTA: Yes, right, Terry. And (UNINTELLIGIBLE) lot of times people look to you to try and figure out whether they should be spending $10,000 or a million dollars. What do you look for in a horse? Obviously you want a fast horse. But I imagine it's got to be more than that.
FINLEY: Well, the question's brought up quite a bit. And I tell you, if I really knew, I probably wouldn't need the partnerships. I would go to a banker and I'd borrow some money and I'd get all the good horses.
But that's really a part of the fascination that people have is, you go a horse sale, and you look at 400 or 500 horses over a span of two or three days, and you're trying to pick out the diamonds in the rough. Obviously there are people that go to the sales, and they spend a little bit more money than we do.
But I think that's the intrigue and the drama of the business, is trying to pay $75,000 for a horse, and then after a year or two, you see the horse on the big stage. I mean, that's really what attracts me to the business.
GUPTA: All right. Terry, I know you've got a couple of horses in the race as well, so to speak. But you're still rooting for Funny Cide?
FINLEY: Absolutely. I'm a big fan of their connections, and I really -- at the top of the stretch, I'll be on my feet and I'll be screaming at the top of my lungs for Funny Cide, because I really want to see a Triple Crown for the connections, as well as for our sport.
GUPTA: All right. Right on cue, you've got the bells! Thank you so much for joining us, Terry Finley. Thank you. Have a good time today.
FINLEY: All right, thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
