by James Platz

Thirteen years ago, Greg Samples bought in on his first racehorse, partnering with his father. The idea was that they could share in the experience together as Sam Samples battled health issues. With that first purchase, Greg was hooked. More than a decade later, he has owned pieces or all of more than 80 horses, focusing heavily on the claiming game.

“That was the main impetus in getting involved in the harness racing, and then it just took off from there,” Greg said of that first claim, gelding Marky Mike. “My little $8,000 claimer made $50,000. So, of course, I was hooked at that point. He was a nice little horse and we really enjoyed him.”

Claimed in June 2012, Marky Mike hit the board in eight of 13 starts for Greg, but he failed to reach the winner’s circle before closing out the year. The next season the pacer would collect seven wins, taking his career mark of 1:52.1 before being claimed in September. Greg and his wife, Tracy, enjoyed the experience and have remained involved through both the good and the lean years.

“The claiming game, which I still enjoy, I tell all my friends, it’s just like Christmas,” the owner said. “Sometimes you get exactly what you’re wanting and then sometimes you get a lump of coal. We’ve enjoyed all of them. But most of them being claimers, we didn’t really own them for very long at a time.”

And one thing Greg tries not to do is claim horses back multiple times. He learned at an early age to have an appreciation for horses, but not to get attached.

“When I was in first grade, I had a little pony and I loved that little pony,” he said. “Well, I came home from school one day and my pony was gone. My dad sold it. So that was a good lesson for later in life that I don’t become too attached to them. We don’t see them every day like the trainers do, so it’s easier not to become attached. But you still enjoy every one of them.”

If there is an argument to be made for becoming attached to a horse, Rollin Rosie is a worthy exception. Greg is a partner on the 5-year-old mare, a 23-time winner also owned by trainer Tyler George and Steve Price’s SCP Stable Inc. In 42 lifetime starts, the daughter of JK Endofanera—Rock N Roll Baby has finished off the board only six times, and has yet to miss a check while banking over $600,000 to date.

Although his preference is claimers, Greg couldn’t pass up the opportunity to buy in on a then yearling Rollin Rosie when offered.

“I had raised a few babies with not a lot of success,” Greg said. “The year that ‘Rosie’ was in the sale at the State Fairgrounds, I went to the sale that day. I told my wife, ‘I’m not buying a colt.’ So, the first thing I did was buy a colt. Tyler bought her. Immediately after, I told him he got the best deal in the sale. He said, ‘Well, you can own part of her,’ so I bought part of her.”

Rosie had brought $9,500 in the sales ring, and she may very well be one of the best deals to come out of the 2021 Hoosier Classic Sale. As a freshman, Rollin Rosie won six of seven starts, racing third in the Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final and finishing the year with $209,250. As a sophomore, she added nearly $235,000 to her card, notching a runner-up performance in the Super Final. Last season the pacer won nine of 22 attempts and was again second in the sires stakes final for older pacing mares.

With all that success, it can result in some high expectations each time out.

“It’s hard,” Greg said. “You expect her to win every week because of the success she’s had. There are so many really good mares out there that I know that’s not realistic. But it’s fun to have that possibility.”

Rollin Rosie’s success as a young horse has led Greg to continue pursuing yearlings to complement his claiming interests. Before retirement, he spent 40 years working for Firestone, primarily managing retail outlets around the Indianapolis area. Now he is happy if he has a horse racing each night at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.

“I still want to be involved in the claiming game,” he said. “I want to maintain my involvement in the yearlings, the young horses. For me, it’s about enjoying the people you deal with and enjoying the sport. Whatever I feel would increase my enjoyment in this, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Part of that enjoyment is centered on the relationships developed with the trainers Greg employs and partners with on horses. In the past he has worked with Charlie Stewart and Charlie Conrad, and today his partnerships include George and Ross Leonard.

“I think it’s important that the trainer has some skin in the game,” Greg said. “We have been so lucky to be involved with the people we’ve been involved with. With the trainers especially, we’ve been involved with. That’s one of the best things about this business, I think, is the people you meet and the people you interact with.”

Greg entered the business to share in the experience with his father. The thrill of racing and enjoyment of camaraderie and competition keep the couple coming back.

“Harness racing is the most exciting, fun, owner interactive equine sport in the world,” he said. “I don’t know of any other equine sport where a normal person like me can afford to become involved and compete almost every week for the amount of purse money that we go for. The excitement of standing along that rail and hearing and watching those horses come down that stretch, that long stretch at Hoosier Park, and know that you’ve got a horse in that race that could have a chance to win, that excitement is unmatched anywhere.”