The Florida experiment

by Trey Nosrac

Gene Belfry, a retired 56-year-old independent businessman, has a fringe of red hair, a potbelly, and a twinkle in his eye. He enjoys escaping the northern winters by traveling south in the winter. During his southern trips, he especially enjoys visiting Southern Oaks training center, where his former secretary, Gail Coggins, and her husband, Walt, always had a few young trotters or pacers training. Gene, a restless risk-taker, had acquired more than a bit of knowledge about the sport simply by occasionally visiting training centers and following the progress of Gail and Walt’s horses. Gene was intrigued, but he stayed on the fringes of the sport and never took the plunge into horse ownership.

In July, watching a struggling 2-year-old trotter Gail owned, a business idea leaped into his ever-active mind. The stunning 2-year-old colt trotter, Justice Delayed, was a beautiful physical specimen. Gene liked a lot about this colt. One thing not to like is that his best training mile so far is 2:17. Because this young colt is 10 seconds away from qualifying or has yet to show any reasons for optimism, the colt will most likely head to the online auction board and an unknown fate. Many potential racehorses and their owners find themselves in this predicament.

Gene’s idea was a wild swing to give young horses like this trotter and their owners a future and give some 2-year-old horses a little more room to race on the way before heading out the door. He is considering creating a niche business. Like other businesses he has started, he believes the adventure would be enjoyable. The gist of his idea is to form a Florida E League. The “E” can represent the words experimental or extension.

His mind is still jumbled, but the core is to create a place for horses that do not make any money as 2-year-olds, can be retained or purchased for a February, March, and April racing season. Maybe he will consult an online sales company to help organize the business. Perhaps he will look for some investors. The racing schedule could be eight or 10 races, a final at a Florida training center (possibly Spring Garden Ranch), or a rotation of training centers that will host races.

By November, Gene or his operator could designate 150 (or more) as FE (Florida Eligible). The Eligible pool for FE designation will be 2-year-old horses who did not make one cent. Interested owners can nominate their 2-year-olds or remarket the Florida Eligibles at an online auction. Jan. 1, FE horses must declare and enroll for what, $5,000, $10,000 per horse. A pool of designated horses will not be difficult to find. Approximately 3,000 yearlings were sold at auction in 2024, leaving over a thousand racehorses culled. The Florida Eligible idea only needs a small fraction.

The FE horses are a gambling-free operation. No-gambling is very important. The participants are a private group who race for a pool of money under their own rules. Instead of gambling, the horses compete for points, not purses. However, stipends can be paid to the more successful horses at the end of the season via a formula prescribed by the organizing committee.

Why bother setting up a series or a league for slow horses or slow-developing horses that race will, technically, all be age 3? Consider these bullet points that Gene Belfry jotted down.

• Opportunity for an individual or group to have a racing adventure lasting less than six months.

• Opportunity for an individual or group to have a complete racing adventure for less than $20,000.

• A participant will have a reason to travel to warm weather.

• Young people can find footing as trainers and drivers.

• About 30 per cent of sold yearlings did not race in 2025.

• People with limited funds who find a way to race horses.

• Excellent, exotic hobby for retired folks.

• Coordinate with the tourism sector (RV’s, campgrounds, hotels, etc.).

• Make this a highly social racing circuit.

• It would be an excellent hobby, especially for retirees.

Gene Belfry is a fictional character. His ideas are semi-fictional. Maybe there are possibilities, maybe not. A project that removes harness horses from the pari-mutuel straitjacket would be fun and potentially a solid business.

If you build it, they might come.