Quite a number of years ago, my wife and I had discussions about buying a share in a race horse. Perhaps a 20% interest in a low cost yearling. She favoured buying a penny stock. I came to agree with the reasoning on an investment that runs everyday, costs nothing to feed, has no vet bills, etc., etc.

On a tip from an unknown 'gold expert', she bought 2,000 shares in a stock named "Gold City"at a cost of just over $300.00 (.15 per share). Through the years, almost daily, as I read the totals on the family investments, she would ask.... as if it was the most important investment of all... " How did Gold City do today?" By the time this faithful old race horse died, without every winning a race, she had given birth to two offspring -- Merit Mining and San Gold. We were left with 43 (@.15 cents) shares in MMU and 47 SGR (@about .25 cents). Still the two horses now went to the track each day. A couple of years ago, we noticed that San Gold was doing quite well in early races --- thank you very much!! -- even to the point of competing in allowance races; much better than the earlier cheap claiming races of the dam.

So now we are left with one (still cheap, but with promise) claimer, and one horse that runs regularly in the Allowance and Handicap categories. Naturally, we hold a few more shares of these two horses, especially SGR, who this year, if the summer race schedule proves profitable, may run in the Million Dollar World Class Beeders Cup Races this fall.

Naturally, we absolutely enjoy reading the daily racing forum (The Agoracom Board) and watching the changing odds on the tote board (The Venture Exchange).

Thanks to all for the great inputs and their continuing efforts at keeping distance 'owners' informed.