As the field for the $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1) swings into the Pimlico Race Course homestretch May 18, they will be greeted by the roar of thousands of fans that fill the grandstand. A wall of noise will encapsulate the eight Thoroughbreds and their jockeys, but if one gray/roan colt listens close enough, he will hear his name being shouted and cheered not just by his loyal supporters that traveled to Baltimore, but from thousands more across North America.
The horse is Seize the Grey , trained by Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and sired by the late Arrogate.
Bred in Kentucky by Jamm and consigned by Mill Ridge Sales at the 2022 The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale, Seize the Grey was introduced to a new level of stardom as the hammer came down for $300,000 in favor of MyRacehorse, a fractional ownership app that allows racing fans a taste of ownership for a much lower cost.
"We syndicate horses to make the dream and thrills of ownership available to everyone," said MyRacehorse founder and CEO Michael Behrens.
Upon their purchase of the yearling, Seize the Grey was offered on the MyRacehorse app for $127 per share for 0.02% equity. According to Behrens, Seize the Grey will race in the Preakness on behalf of 2,570 shareholders.
Behrens knows what it is like to provide a classic win to many racing fans who would have never dreamed of owning their own racehorse. MyRacehorse was a co-owner of 2020 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Authentic , who would return a month later to finish a close second in the Preakness. Seize the Grey will be their first starter in the Triple Crown since.
"There are a lot of people who are really pumped up and excited," Behrens said. "It looks like an amazing race and we're really excited to be here."
One of the perks of being involved with MyRacehorse is having the curtain pulled back on the behind the scenes of making a racehorse. Through posts and events, Seize the Grey's shareholders have had an opportunity to follow every step of the horse's career.
MyRacehorse's experience manager, Caitlin Dunne, knows Seize the Grey better than most. After MyRacehorse purchased the colt, Seize the Grey was sent to Wavertree Stables in Ocala, Fla., to begin his initial training with her parents, Ciaran and Amy Dunne.
"He was kind of a chubby little Arrogate colt," Dunne said. "I think for a little bit my dad got nervous that he wouldn't grow."
Despite his looks, Seize the Grey impressed early on with his relaxed demeanor.
"My dad always says, horses that have his type of demeanor, it's usually a pretty good thing because they take care of themselves in the barn," Dunne said. "I think we had an idea that he was either going to be really, really good or in that mid-section. You can't measure heart when you're on the farm, you see it when they start racing."
Along for every step of his development from a lazy yearling to a hard-knocking racehorse were his plentiful owners hoping that their beloved colt would blossom into a star. Their patience was rewarded July 29, 2023, when Seize the Grey won his first race during his second start, a 6 1/2-furlong maiden race at Saratoga Race Course. Excitement built as he participated on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and, although he barely missed qualifying for the May 4 Derby, broke through with a signature victory Derby day in the Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2) to earn a trip to the Preakness.
"I saw his first win from Del Mar," remembered Mike Dusterhoff of California, one of Seize the Grey's shareholders. "I never thought I would ever see him in person, but I said I was going to make the trip out to Pimlico and here we are."
Dusterhoff is one of hundreds of shareholders who have traveled from all corners of North America to Pimlico to celebrate their colt running in a Triple Crown event. For Dusterhoff, originally born in Washington, D.C., Seize the Grey has created a homecoming, and the shareholder has spent the week seeing not just Seize the Grey, but family members he hasn't seen in close to a decade. He was at the barn May 16 as part of a MyRacehorse event group led by Dunne.
"I followed (Seize the Grey) around, I flew here from Florida to be here at the Preakness," said Will Diaz of Palm City, Fla. "The excitement is unbelievable."
"I got into MyRacehorse because I always loved horse racing from the time I was a little kid," said Janice Mackenzie of Phoenix. "This has been fantastic. To me, (the morning) is more fun than race day. You get close to the horses, hear a lot about them, learn about them. Just see how they're going about their daily routine. That's what I love the most."
Seize the Grey has not only provided a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience for many of his owners, but has also provided an extra special Preakness for his shareholders who are based around Baltimore.
"I got into MyRacehorse because it was the only way I could get close to a race like the Preakness," said Baltimore's Rob Thomsen. "Now that we're actually here, I got to attend the post position draw which is something I never thought I would be able to do. It's just an amazing experience."
For the long-time racing fans turned owners that traveled to Pimlico, dreams are already coming true as they unlock the excitement of preparing a horse they are connected to for one of the most popular races in the United States.
"(Seeing the shareholders' experience) has been the best thing about him," Dunne said. "Seeing how much they love and care about him, you would have thought they were in the barn every single day with him. ... The owners love him like they would love any animal in their own home."
Should Seize the Grey pull off the upset and race his way into the Preakness winner's circle, it will cause a celebration that will not soon be forgotten, not just at Pimlico, but in the houses of more than 2,000 people that will be cheering their horse home.
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